Lost in Time
by muzical
Summary: Miles/OC, Boone/OC Sequel to Lost on an Island. We're home. Our journal has finally come to an end and I couldn't be happier.
1. Flashes Through Time

**Chapter 1: Flashes through Time, Flash 1-3**

I squeezed my eyes closed as a brilliant white light flashed through the camp. When I opened them and looked around, everyone was as confused as I. I blinked, thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me… our camp was gone. There was nothing left, our tables, our food, the kitchen, our water trough, all gone.

I heard someone calling for Rose and it must have been Bernard. Everyone wandered around in circles, picking up rocks and kicking sticks as if our camp would magically appear underneath one. I reached up and grabbed hold of Boone's necklace. My fingers wrapped around the cord and twisted the charm between my fingers. What the hell just happened? I stood rooted to the spot, afraid to move, afraid to was gone: all our food, our tents, our clothes… all gone.

When I looked up again, Bernard and Rose were leading Sawyer and Juliet up to where we were all gathered. I will admit, I was very happy to see Sawyer. But wasn't he supposed to be on the helicopter? "Everything but us… is gone," Bernard said, looking as confused and lost as I felt.

"It's not gone," said a voice walking up the beach. I turned to see who it was and sighed shaking my head slowly. Daniel Faraday, resident science nerd emerged from the beach.

"What do you mean, 'the camp's not gone'? It looks pretty gone to me," Sawyer said, his attitude making a return. "And who the hell are you anyway?"

"That's Dan, our physicist," Miles said, joining our little conversation.

Daniel turned to Juliet,ignoringSawyer's question. "We don't have time.I need you to take me to something man-made. A landmark. Something that was built."

"There's a Dharma Station about fifteen minutes from here." Locke's hatch, the one they blew up, the one that crashed our plane, the reason we were stranded here on this bloody island.

"That's perfect. We should get a move on before it happens again." Daniel started off into the jungle but Sawyer grabbed his arm, pulling him back**.**

"Before what happens again? And why is our camp gone?" I moved closer to the group, to Sawyer and Juliet, as curious as everyone else as to what was going on. I was terrified and didn't want to be alone. Everyone else at the beach camp was roaming around, picking up rocks as if the camp would just appear beneath one.

Daniel looked up and met Sawyer's eyes. "Your camp isn't gone; it just hasn't been built yet." I raised an eyebrow, staring at Daniel with a blank stare. I was more confused than I had been on this bloody island. "We have to get moving."

Without another word,Juliet led the way with Daniel, Charlotte and Miles right behind. I held back, not knowing if I should interfere with this one. No one ever wanted me tocome along, not the trip to the Pearl and definitely not when Sayid, Ana and Charlie went looking for Henry Gale's balloon."Come on Tinkerbelle, you might as well come too." Sawyer said and I smiled slowly, happy to be included for once.

"All right," I said, following the group down the path. Sawyer walked much faster than I, and had already caught up to the front of the line, leaving me to trail behind Miles. Antisocial and quiet, Miles scared me. He barely talked, and when he did, he was rude and obnoxious. Although, he had helped me quite a bit over the past few days, so he couldn't be all that bad.

We walked along the familiar path to the hatch. The hatch that Locke and Boone had been excavating before his… death. The very same hatch that Jack, Locke and Kate had blown up trying to get inside. The same hatch Desmond had been living inside for years.

"Why don't we just hold up and you can explain." The group stopped on the trail at the sound of Sawyer's voice, even Daniel, although he seemed to be struggling with the request.

"We really don't have time for me to explain this." Daniel babbled about difficulty and time and his words just swam in my head. I had a hard time listening to him when he was just talking normally, let alone trying to explain why our camp was gone. I was confused, and honestly didn't care. I just wanted to know what happened to our camp and the freighter.

I blinked just as Sawyer's hand came up and slapped Daniel across the face. "Oi," Charlotte exclaimed as she raced forward towards Daniel. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

"Shut it ginger or you're getting one too." He turned back to Daniel. "Now talk."

Nodding, Daniel started to explain what was happening. "Think of the island like a record, spinning on a turntable. Well now that record is skipping. Whatever Ben Linus did down at the Orchid Station somehow dislodged us."

"Dislodged us from what?" Miles asked, echoing my thoughts.

"Time."

"So that's why our camp is gone," Juliet said. "Because the island is moving through time."

Daniel nodded again. "Either the island is, or we are. Are all of your people accounted for?" Daniel asked, looking from Sawyer to Juliet.

Sawyer shook his head, "not everyone." My mind raced to figure out who was missing. "Locke," he said, answering my thoughts. It figured; Locke was gone again.

We started walking again, a bit faster this time, trying to make it to the station before we moved again. I stopped, hearing a shrill hum and the sky brightened again. Covering my eyes with my hands I squeezed them shut, trying to block out the bright light and excruciating pain. When I opened them again, it was nighttime and the six of us were staring around confused. "Great," Sawyer said, summing up my thoughts. He turned towards the scientist. "So when are we now Wiz-Kid?"

"Well, we're either in the past… or we're in the future." I rolled my eyes, visibly annoyed. I didn't have an advanced degree in physics, but even I could figure that out.

This time, when we started walking, I stayed up front with Juliet and Sawyer. I didn't want to be in the back with the Science Kids that I barely knew. Sawyer and I crashed together on the island and strangely,I was more comfortable with him than people I barely knew. I included Juliet in that group as well.

"We're here," Juliet called, looking down into a large pit.

"Is this the Hatch?" Daniel asked, falling in behind us.

I nodded, but realized he probably couldn't see it in the dark. "It was," Sawyer answered. "Blown up, just like we left it."

"Well, when we are. We're definitely after you and your people crashed here on the island." Daniel knelt down and looked into the black pit.

"That means our camp is probably back? All right I'm headed back there. Kalie, you coming?" I jumped at being addressed directly. Hearing my given name come out of his mouth still shocked me. I was used to being called Tinkerbelle.

"It's not worth it. By the time you get there, it may be gone again. We don't know how often these flashes are coming or when they'll come."

"What if it's not? What if the helicopter hasn't even taken off yet?" Sawyer protested vehemently.

Juliet joined in the conversation now too, "we could warn them, stop them from ever flying to that boat…"

"It doesn't work that way. You can't change anything. Even if you tried, it wouldn't work. Time is like a string. We can move forward, we can move in reverse, but we can't create a new string. Whatever happened will happen."

"Well how do you know that Danny-boy?"

Daniel pulled what looked like a journal or notebook from his pack. "I know that because I've spent my entire adult life studying space-time. This journal contains everything I've ever learned about the Dharma Initiative. I know what's happening."

"How do we stop it?" I whispered the same time Sawyer spoke it aloud.

"We can't."

"Well who can?" Sawyer asked, but Daniel didn't answer.

I turned back to stare at the blown-up hatch, following Daniel's eyes. "So what was this thing, before you guys blew it up?" Miles asked, bending down to look at theremnants of the hatch.

"It was a Dharma Station," Juliet replied. "A man named Desmond lived down it and he was pushing a button every 108 minutes to save the world."

"Really?" For once, Miles actually sounded interested in something. Every other time, he acted like it was a bother to speak, or deal with us.

Juliet smiled and nodded, "yeah, really."

I glanced up at the sky and heard yet another shrill hum. I squeezed my eyes shut and covered my ears with my hands as yet another flash of brilliant white light lit up the sky. This time when my eyes opened, it was daylight and the hatch hadn't even been built yet. All that was in front of us was a flat mound of dirt.

"Now when are we? Long before the hatch was ever built?" I said, looking around the grassy area.

Juliet walked down and began digging in the dirt. "It's been built, just before you all blew it up." She stood up and wiped her hands on her pants.

Sawyer nodded and began to storm off into the jungle. "Sawyer, where are you going?" I asked, turning towards his retreating form.

"I ain't gonna stand around here without a shirt on for much longer. Back door, I'm goin' to get supplies."

"James, that's not such a good idea…" Daniel started after him, leaving Juliet, Charlotte, Miles and me at the Hatch.

After a few seconds, Juliet nudged my arm and we started off behind Sawyer and Daniel, into the jungle. I could hear Daniel babbling on and on about time and things happening. It made absolutely not sense to me and I personally didn't care.

Sawyer banged on the door of the hatch, yelling at the top of his lungs and Daniel tried to stop him. "You can't change the past, James!"

"Oh," I gasped as Sawyer turned and grabbed Daniel's shirt.

"Everyone I care about just blew up on your goddamn boat. I know what I can't change."

"We should get back to the beach. It's been a long day," Juliet said pulling Sawyer away from Daniel.

Sawyer took my arm and gently pulled me with him, into the jungle. "Come on Tinkerbelle. Let's see if there's anything for us at the beach, shall we?"

He dropped my arm and we walked further through the trees, Juliet behind us and Miles behind her. I didn't look back to see if Charlotte and Daniel were following, personally I didn't really care. That bloody red-head annoyed me anyway.

Where was Sayid? He had been on the helicopter, where they still out there? "Sawyer, what about the helicopter? Weren't you on it? Where's Sayid?" His eyes trailed over my head and I turned to see who he was looking at, Juliet.

"I was… I uh… jumped off. They were headed for the freighter."

"So that means…" I trailed off, chewing on my lip.

"I jumped off the helicopter before it reached the freighter. They were running low on fuel and couldn't make it otherwise. I'm sure they're fine and Sayid is with them." Sawyer tried to sound convincing, but he had no clue where they were or if they were all right. How could he know? He just told Daniel everyone blew up… I could only assume he meant Kate.

I fell silent, my eyes filling with tears. Sayid was gone… who knows where. He could be dead… they all could.

We walked through the trees, over rocks and I tripped over sticks. I even fell once, skinning my hands on a few rocks. Sawyer stopped and helped me up, even offering me a smile as I brushed the dirt off. At this rate, my hands would be bleeding by the timewe got back to the beach.

This was it? This was my life from now on, floating through time? Would I ever see my family again? I only had three months with my brother; would I ever see him again? Hemay have changed over our time here and he wasn't the nicest person. He did things I would rather forget, but he was still my brother and I loved him. He was my only family on the island for over three months.

All my friends, my family were gone. Boone, Shannon and Charlie were dead. Jack, Sun and Sayid were gone. Claire was missing. All that was left were strangers. Granted, I did know them, but not well enough to call them my friends. Sawyer was the only person left I had spoken more than twenty words to.

What was going to happen? When the bloody hell were we? Were we ever going to get rescued?

I followed in silence back to the beach, terrified to say something and be banished away. I tripped over sticks, roots and rocks, one time falling to my knees before Miles helped me back up. "Thanks," I whispered with a small smile, but before the word was even out of my mouth, he was gone, walking back up with the group.

We walked and I wished that we would reach the beach. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

* * *

**AN: I wanted to get this up earlier, but the doc. manager wasn't working. Thanks to everyone who read the first story, and I hope you all enjoy this one. Oh, and if you watched the season premiere and know what the heck is going on... please let me know :) i'm more confused than when it started!**

**Just a review, I don't own _Lost._ I wish I did; I wouldn't be confused!**


	2. Fire and Flashes

**Chapter 2: Fire and Flashes, Flash 4**

Another shrill hum and another flash broke through the quiet atmosphere. I held my head tightly, already growing tired of the flashing. "Damnit," Sawyer exclaimed when we all looked up. I couldn't blame him; I wanted to yell the same thing. "Well, let's keep going."

After nearly another half hour of walking, we finally arrived back at the beach. Rose and Bernard were crouched near a pile of wood, rubbing sticks together. I collapsed in the sand nearby, ready to rest my aching feet. "We are trying to focus on what we can control. You are either going to help or be quiet!" I glanced over at Rose, shocked that she yelled at Neil.I had never heard her say a bad word to anyone, not even the annoying Frogurt.

Lying back in the sand, I shut my eyes against the harsh sun. It was hot, sticky and my hands felt gritty from the sand. I knew I shouldn't be lying in the sun, but I was too tired to get up and move. I'd deal with the sunburn later.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next time I opened my eyes, the sky was dark andthe temperature had dropped significantly. Wishing I had my tent with my sweatshirt, I sat up and looked around the beach, finding the rest of my fellow survivors about twenty feet away. Bernard was still trying to light a fire, and the sound of his sticks being rubbed together was drowned out by the roar of the ocean.

Brushing the dirt and sand from my clothes and hair, I stood up and walked down the beach. Juliet and Sawyer were sitting together and rather that sit with someone I didn't know well, I sat in the sand near them. Vincent was behind me and he sniffed my hair, causing me to giggle like a little girl. "Have a nice nap, Tinkerbelle?"

I looked up in surprise before nodding. "Yeah, aside from the sun." I scratched Vincent's head, smiling as his tongue lolled out of his mouth. He licked my cheek, panting happily.

"Dinner!" I turned with everyone elsetowards the tree line where Miles had emerged, a boar hung over his shoulder.

Bernard looked up from his unsuccessful attempt at a fire. "That's great! Wow, where'd you get that?"

Miles dropped the boar to the ground, "I found it."

That didn't sound safe. Who knew how long that thing had been dead? "What do you mean 'you found it'?" Sawyer asked, seemingly thinking the same thing I was.

"It died in the jungle. I found it. Don't worry its fine. It's only been dead three hours."

"And you know that how?" I couldn't help but ask, looking from the dead animal back up to Miles.

"I just do. Anyone got a knife?" He grabbed a leg and began dragging it up the beach.

"You want a knife?" Frogurt asked, joining our small group. "Oh yeah, it's right over there next to the Cuisinart, next to the stove."

Here he started again. He always found something to complain about. Frogurt had never become adjusted to being stranded on the island, as he frequently reminded us. "What's your problem?"

"My problem is, we don't have a knife. We don't have anything. And even if we did, it wouldn't matter because Bernie the Dentist here can't even start a fire."

"Easy up there, Frogurt."

"It's Neil, you in-bred." Sawyer took a few steps towards poor Frogurt, but Juliet pulled him back before he could do anything he'd regret. "And I'm not going to ease up because I'm tired. And I'm hungry and I'm screwed. We're all screwed."

"Calm down, Neil. We're going to get through this." Juliet's voice was soft and shesounded more in control than the rest of us. I was jealous, wishing I could sound in control; I was bordering on panic.

Neil's face was growing red with anger and I wished he would just stop before he got himself into trouble. "How are any of us going to get through this? Didn't you hear what I just said? We can't even get fire!"

"Oh my God!" I jumped up from my seat on the sand, my jaw open as I stared at the flaming arrow in Neil's chest.

I followed Sawyer and Juliet's gazes to the trees where more balls of fire were getting ready to rain down on us. "Run," Sawyer yelled and I looked around in terror.

Frogurt was burning, screaming as he died. I was frozen, unable to force my feet to move. "Kalie, run!" Someone yelled from near me, shaking me from my fear. I turned away from the burningFrogurt and raced up the beach towards the tree line. Arrows landed in the sand all around me, their heat burning me as they passed by my arm. "Meet at the creek," I heard Sawyer yell and I struggled to remember where it was.

I dodged trees and rocks, tripping and falling a few times. The palms of my hands were bleeding and I hastily wiped the sticky blood onto my jeans. The third time I fell, someone held out a hand and when I looked up, it was Jason, one of my fellow survivors who wound up near me.

"Come on," he said, pulling me to my feet. "The creek is this way."

The arrows were no longer flying through the air, so we walked slower, taking care not to trip over anything else. Somehow, we joined up with the Science Kids and Chris, another survivor. We walked until the sun came up, shining through the trees and lighting our path. The jungle didn't feel as scary in the daytime."Are you sure that's what he said?" Daniel said from ahead of me.

"Yeah," Miles answered. "Sawyer said meet at the creek. So unless he got torched by a flaming arrow, that's where he'll be."

I stepped carefully over a large rock and power walked past Daniel and Charlotte, who had stopped in the middle of the path. I didn't have time for their discussion; I just wanted to find the rest of my group.

"Hey, we're here." I walked up closer to where Miles was standing and looked around. "Some rendezvous, it's just us."

I sat on a dry rock near the creek's edge and dipped my hands into the waterto wash offthe dirt and dried blood. "We should probably hang around a wait for a bit. They could be right behind us."

"Or they came and left," Charlotte contradicted, ruining whatever hope I might have had.

"Or they're dead," Miles added.

I took in a deep breath and glared at him, making sure he saw me. They weren't dead, they couldn't be. Daniel said something softly to Miles, but I couldn't hear. Sitting quietly on my rock, I hoped that they would show up soon. Sawyer was our unofficial leader, and he needed to do his job. "Miles?" Daniel called and I looked up to see what was going on.

Miles had walked away, stroking his goatee. I looked ahead to see what he was looking at and I just found Chris and Jason walking. Nothing out of the ordinary."Wait! Don't move!" Miles yelled and before the two men said a word, a plume of fire exploded, sending Chris flying backwards and Jason into the water.

I screamed aswe dove at the ground and someone pressed their hand to my back to keep me down. I covered my head with my hands trying to keep the dirt from my face. Two more explosions sounded, sending water and dirt flying into the sky. I was hit with a few small pebbles, but nothing large enough to cause more than a bruise.

When the noise subsided and the water calmed, I looked up. Surrounding us were several men aiming arrows at us. Terrific, we get out of one situation just to find another. A young girl followed behindthem, only she was pointing a rifle. She had to have been my age, if not a bit younger, and her curly blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail. "Who's in charge here?" She asked, and I didn't know what to say. Our leader was missing in action.

"He is," Miles said, nodding to Daniel.

She walked over to him, still aiming the rifle. "You just couldn't stay away, could you? Get them up and let's move."

The men lifted us to our feet and tied our hands together. None of us struggled; it wouldn't have done much good. When they were sure we were secured, they began marching us through the jungle. I had no idea where they could be taking us and I was quickly reminded of the last time I had been taken by the heart began pounding in my chest and I felt my breathing quicken, sweat poured from my forehead and my hands shook. I brought my hands to my throat and shut my eyes, stopping in the middle of the path. "Move," one of the men said and I bit my lip, trying to force my legs to move. I felt someone take my arm, pulling me forward.

When I opened my eyes, I looked around and struggled to take a deep breath. "She's having an anxiety attack, let her go." Daniel fell back and walked beside me. "Take a deep breath, don't worry. We're going to be okay."

How did he know that? He didn't know these people. Even if they weren't the same Others from my previous capture, they were still talked softly and calmly, and I forced myself to focus on his voice. Slowly, my heart slowed and I was able to breathe normally. I took deep breath after deep breath, trying to ignore the arrows fixed in the bows. "Thank you," I said softly, smiling sadly.

"Don't mention it."

We were spread out, Charlotte and I near the front, Daniel in the middle and Miles brought up the rear. I didn't look around; I merely kept my eyes focused straight ahead. I had no idea where they were taking us, but I did wonder if they had captured Sawyer, Juliet and anyone else. Sawyer would know what to do.

"We're here," the girl said, and I looked up to find us being marched into a tent city. They looked like the army tents I had seen in movies from the '40's, only these looked new. "Richard, we're back."

A man emerged from the tent nearest us. "Caught these four by the creek. This one's their leader." It was him, the man who set me free that time I had been captured by the Others. Ben had said I looked like this man's sister, would he recognize me or were we too far in the past?

He stared at me for a moment, his eyes wide in shock before quickly recovering."What's your name?" He asked Daniel, tearing his eyes away from me.

"What's your name?"

I rolled my eyes, wondering why they didn't just cooperate. "My name's Richard Alpert. I assume you've come back for your bomb."

What? What bomb? When were we?

When we didn't answer, Richard had them shove us into a tent. I nearly tripped again, falling into Miles. "Sorry," I said softly, moving away from him to sit on the picnic table. Would Richard let me go again? We were in a different time now, and my mind came up with crazy rescue plans.

"We are so dead," Miles said, sitting next to me. I glanced over at him, wondering ifhe could be right.

Daniel knelt on the ground next to us and shook his head. "We are not so dead. We'll be fine. We just need to keep it together until there's another flash. Then all this disappears."

"And that will be when?" I asked, staring down at Daniel.

"Could be five minutes… could also be five thousand years."

"That… that's just awesome," Miles said as he shook his head. I rolled my eyes and leaned back against the table. We could be stuck here forever.

"What's going on, Dan? Why are they doing this to us?"

I was wondering the same thing. What bomb were they talking about? And why did they assume it was ours?

"I don't know, but they must think we're with the American military. In order to survive, we have to let them keep thinking that. I…"

The tent flap opened and Richard stepped into the tent. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something? Ellie tells me you're not willing to reveal where the rest of your squad is?"

"Why would I do that? So you can kill them?"

"We didn't start this, your people attacked us. You came to our island…" I should have paid more attention to what was transpiring, but I couldn't focus. My heart was pounding again and I struggled to fight off another anxiety attack. After over one hundred days on this bloody island, now I was getting anxiety attacks. I had been kidnapped, shot at and almost blown up, and now it was all getting to me.

"Now you need to listen to me, you have an unstable device that's capable of destroying this entire island and it's broken. If you don't allow me to render it inert, all of us are going to die. All of us."

Oh dear. "How do I know you weren't sent here on some suicide mission?" Richard asked, glancing at all of us. I had to admit, I wasn't sure how Daniel was going to talk his way out of this one.

He paused for a moment, "because I'm in love with the woman sitting next to me. And I would never, ever do anything to hurt her."

I looked over at Charlotte and couldn't tell if Daniel was serious or just trying to get Richard to let him go. "All right, well give me a moment and we'll go." Richard disappeared out the tent flap and we were alone again.

The young girl, Ellie, came back a few moments later. "All right then, let's go." She picked up Daniel's pack and led him out of the tent.

"Back soon, I promise," he said as he stepped out.

Miles paced the tent and Charlotte sat next to me, giggling softly to herself. I rolled my eyes and sat back on the picnic table. The ropes were burning my wrist and I tried not to move them.

How long were we going to be here this time? How far away is the bomb? Where were Sawyer and Juliet?

Miles sat next to me and glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "So… you and me? How 'bout it?"

"Excuse me?" I said offhandedly, not paying attention to what he was talking about.

"You and me. You gotta figure Sawyer and Juliet are hooking up, Dan and Charlotte… that leaves us."

I turned to him, looking him up and down. "You're kidding right? Because that has to be the most ridiculous thing I've heard since arriving on this bloody island."

He looked stunned for a minute before standing up and walking away. Sure, I said he was cute, but I wasn't planning on staying here any longer than necessary. And furthermore, he had an attitude that would fill up the tent.

"Oh no," Charlotte whispered, her hands going up to hold her head.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I heard a shrill hum pierce the atmosphere. Clutching my head, I squeezed my eyes shut as a brilliant white flash filled the head ached and throbbed as the piercing hum filled the air.

When I opened my eyes, the tents were gone, and I was sitting on the ground. "Charlotte!" Daniel jogged across the distance and hugged her close. I couldn't hold back my smile as I saw James and Juliet nearby… with Locke. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Charlotte said and Daniel began untying her ropes.

"Yeah me too. I'm fine, too," Miles commented from behind me.

"No one asked you," I said softly, walking over to James and Juliet.

Without even needing to be asked, James began untying the ropes around my hands. "I was wonderin' where you ended up," he said, dropping the rope onto the ground.

"Yeah, I ended up with the science dorks."

"Charlotte!" I spun towards where Daniel and Charlotte were still standing. She walked a few steps, blood pouring out of her nose. And then she was down.

* * *

**AN: And that was chapter 2. I promise this gets a bit more interesting once we're settled in Dharmaville. Thanks to CaptJessicaSparrow and JacDanvers for reviewing the previous chapter. And thanks to everyone who has added this to an alert or fave. Please leave a quick review on your way out to let me know what you thought!**

**Enjoy Tuesday night's episode!**


	3. Flashes and Rain

**Chapter 3: Flashes and Rain, Flash 5-7**

"Charlotte!" I spun towards where Daniel and Charlotte were still standing. She walked a few steps, blood pouring out of her nose. And then she was down.

Juliet raced over to where she had fallen, her rifle on her shoulder. "Charlotte?" She asked, tilting her head back and forth. "Charlotte?"

I stood off to the side with James, unsure of what I should do. I didn't know how I could help, and at least Juliet was a doctor of sorts. "What the hell's wrong with her? She's been out for nearly ten minutes!"

"Stop shouting James." Sawyer backed up, and I was immediately surprised he listened to Juliet. If any of us told him that, he would have shot some sarcastic comment back at us**, **with a new nickname.

"Here man." Miles walked up to us, handing Daniel a flask.

"Thanks," Daniel said softly, unscrewing the top.

Miles stepped back and stood next to me. I risked a quick glance over. I tried to figure out how old he was, but I had no idea. He was older than me, that was for sure.I stepped back a few steps so he wouldn't see me watching. That was just what I needed, him to fuss at me and make some rude comment. Or ask me out again, another thing I didn't need.

"James, go away," Juliet said softly and to my complete surprise, Sawyer turned around and walked over to Locke.

I followed, leaning against a nearby tree. I kept a close eye on Charlotte, hoping she was going to come out of it. Was what was happening to her going to happen to the rest of us? Daniel seemed to know more than he was saying and I couldn't help but wonder what that was.

"Hey, she's waking up," Miles called, pointing down to Charlotte.

I pushed off from my tree and walked over to where Charlotte was lying. When I got there, Charlotte's eyes were open, her color slowly coming back. Juliet and Daniel helped her sit up, her face still streaked with blood. "What happened?"

"There was another flash, you passed out. How do you feel?"

"A bit dizzy. I'm fine," she said, smiling slightly.

"Hooray, everything's back to normal. So now what?" Rolling my eyes, I shot an aggravated look at Miles. To which he responded by glaring at me.

"I'll tell you what; we're going to the Orchid," Sawyer said with a glance back at Locke. He shouldered his rifle and started walking towards the trees. Shrugging** at **Miles,I fell in line behind him. Daniel and Juliet helped Charlotte to her feet and fell in line behind me.

We walked until it was dark and then walked some more. I wondered when we were now, before or after we crashed. Could we be at the beach right now? Could this be before Boone died? Maybe he was over there… at the beach. Or maybe we were long before we ever arrived, just like the last flash."Are you all right?" Juliet asked and it took me a moment to realize she was talking to me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." I forced a smile and continued walking. I didn't need to burden her with my worries.

The moonlight shined through the trees, making small circles in the grass. Thankfully, it was bright enough that I didn't trip too many times. Maybe two hours after the sun had set, a bright column of light shined through the trees. We all stopped and stared."What's that?" I asked, even though I knew no one could possibly know.

I turned to Locke, trying to make out the look on his face. It seemed as if he knew, but I couldn't say for sure. "I say we go the other direction, away from whatever it is."

"Beach is that way," Sawyer said, pointing towards the light. "Now you want to take the scenic route?"

"John, do you know when we are?" Daniel asked and I studied Locke's face.

"We need to keep moving." He said, and turned, walking the opposite direction from the light.

Everyone followed in line, walking slowly and mind was on the light,when we were?My feet kicked rocks and onceagain I stumbled over a large root. Miles caught my arm before I fell, "walk much?" He asked sarcastically, still holding onto me.

"No actually, usually I fly." I pulled my arm from his grasp and walked away.

"What's your problem?" He caught up to me and fell in step beside me.

"I don't have a problem."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Sure you don't."

I walked away quickly, trying to get away from him. I continued to trail behind for a few minutes, walking carefully so that I didn't trip and land face first on a large rock. My curiosity eventually got the better of me and I walked quickly, trying to catch up to Locke.

"When do you think we are?" I asked Locke as I struggled to catch up to him. "You seemed to know what that beam of light was. When are we John?"

I hadn't spoken his first name in months, not since Boone died. So when he stopped on the path and turned around to face me, I had a sneaking suspicion that he remembered. "I believe we are back in November of our year. The first if I'm correct. That light…"

"November first?" I interrupted, my voice shaky. November first was the day that Aaron was born; the day thatBoone died. "I can't go over there, can I?" I trailed off, trying hard to hold the tears in my eyes.

"No. We don't know when the next flash will occur and besides, what would you say to the people you ran into? Everyone knew where you were that night." Locke spoke softly and I figured some thought about saving Boone had crossed his mind. After all, it was his fault he was dead. If I were him, I would have tried to get over there… try toremedy my mistake.

I just wanted to see him. I didn't care that at the moment he was bloody, bruised and dying. All I wanted was to see his face, hold his hand and tell him I loved him. I had only been around him for just over a month… but I missed him so, so very much.

"Maybe if we travel earlier, we could push the plane over, and that way…" I trailed off again, knowing what a stupid plan it was. We couldn't change time; who knew what we might mess up along the way. "I know, it's stupid."

"No, not stupid. You would do anything to save the person you love," Juliet said quietly as she walked up behind me. She offered a quick smile before we continued walking through the trees, down to the beach.

Locke started walking again and I paused a moment before continuing with the parade. I wasn't thinking about our predicament, I could only thing about Boone. I wanted to run away and see him, but logic kept me in my place.

I was back walking next to Miles again and I tried to keep my attention elsewhere so he wouldn't talk to me. "Are you all right?" He asked and I shook my head, not wanting to answer.

Apparently my attempt at avoiding him didn't work. "No," I said softly. "I'm not all right." I didn't want to tell him what was wrong, he had no business knowing. I need to get off this bloody island.

Suddenly through the silent night air, a loud scream echoed through the jungle. Everyone froze. "Now what?" I heard Miles ask, and I couldn't help but wonder the exact thing.

"I'll go check it out." Sawyer raised his gun and walked off into the trees to find the source of the scream.

"James, wait…" Locke tried to stop him, but it was too late, he was gone.

I stood around, shifting my weight from foot to foot, wishing there was something I could do, but there wasn't. I was useless. I couldn't fire a weapon, I didn't know anything about time travel, and I was of no use to anyone in this group.

We stayed in the spot, waiting for Sawyer to return. A few minutes passed and then Charlotte clutched her head and moaned. I glanced around as a bright white flash of light shined through the trees. Dropping to the ground, I clutched my head as the pain seared through… and then it stopped. When I opened my eyes, thesun was shining andLocke was gone. I was left with the Science Kids and Juliet.

We stood for a few minutes, looking around confused. And then Locke and Sawyer appeared behind a thicket of trees and we started moving again. "What was it?" I asked Sawyer when I had caught up to him.

Not surprisingly, he ignored me and continued walking. Shutting my eyes, I took a deep breath, counted to ten and continued walking. Fighting a yawn, I rubbed my eyes, wishing for my mattress of airplane cushions and my airplane pillow and blanket. I had grown accustomed to having those things and now that I didn't, I felt even more lost.

Locke and Sawyer led our group, walking in front and talking together. Everyone once in a while, Locke would look back and make eye contact with me before turning to face forward. I was curious, especially when I heard Sawyer ask him how he knew when we were.

We were walking silently, the same as we had been for hours. I pushed aside branches and twigs, kicked rocks and stepped over roots. Sawyer and Locke were in front, Daniel and Charlotte walked directly in front of me, Juliet was beside me and Miles behind. It was an interesting train."He said that you'll be okay."

I stopped in my tracks and turned around, staring at Miles walking behind me. "What are you talking about?"

"Your boyfriend. He says you'll be okay; he told you that you would be." He shrugged and began to walk away.

I stared at him, my jaw slightly open. "Boone?" How could he know about him? Andfurthermore, how could he know what Boone said?

"Did you have another boyfriend on this island?" Miles rolled his eyes at me and shook his head. I'd only known him for a few days, but Miles Straume was beginning to irk me.

"How do you…?" I trailed off, slightly confused. How did he know what Boone told me? How did he even know about Boone?

He rolled his eyes again, this time adding a shake of his head too. "You've apparently missed the memo. I can hear dead people…"

"Really?" I whispered, still staring at him. "Is… is that all?"

"He was thinking that he loved you… you and Shannon. And that it hurt, but you being there helped."

I felt the tears well in my eyes and threaten to fall. "I love you," I whispered. "Tell him that I love him so much."

"It doesn't work that way," Miles said and he turned to walk away, leaving me to stare at his retreating form.

It took me a few minutes to collect myself and wipe the fallen tears from my cheeks. I stared off into the jungle, wishing he was here, with me. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm sorry and I love you."

I missed him. I missed him almost as much as I missed Dad and Ashton.

We emerged from the trees, and a grin spread across my face. "Hello!" Sawyer called, walking around and through the tents.

"Camp's back," Juliet said, echoing my thoughts.

"Where is everyone?" I peeked in the tents nearest me, no one was there.

"Interest anyone in a Dharma beer?" Sawyer shouldered his rifle and power walked across the sand to the kitchen. "Hello? Anyone here? Rose! Bernard!"

As Sawyer walked to the table, I continued peering into tents. The tents were collapsed, knocked over and overgrown with weeds. "I wonder how long ago this happened," Locke asked.

I abandoned my search, convinced it had been quite a while since we were here. "Son of a bitch," Sawyer said, tossing the beer can down.

Slowly, I made my way across the sand to where my tent had been. My things were still inside and I knelt down, picking through the clothing. My violin was in the back, but there was no possible way I'd be able to carry it with me. I found my journal underneath the mattresses, just where I left it. Grabbing a purse from the back of the tent, I shoved the journal inside and stood up.

"Should you really be snooping through other people's things?"

Rolling my eyes, I turned to Miles. "These are my things. This was my tent before all this started happening. My clothes, my violin, my bed."

"Well isn't that nice," he said as he walked off, down the beach towards the crowd. I stood there, staring out across the ocean.

Just a few days ago, we had hope of rescue and now our friends were either dead or missing. We had yet to find Rose and Bernard just to name two. I had no friends left, no one I could talk to or commiserate with. I was left with Sawyer, Juliet and the Science kids who came here with the group that was planning on killing us. One day, when I was finally off this bloody island, I was going to write a book, _My Adventures on Mystery Island._

"Hey Tinkerbelle, let's go!" I glanced up and down towards the water.

Jogging over, I helped drag the boat into the water. We hopped in and started paddling out into open water and around the island. "How far is this place?" Miles asked once we had reached open water.

"Around that point," Locke answered. "Not more than a few hours."

"Oh joy."

I was trapped between Miles and Juliet, not a place I wanted to be. I could hear Miles groaning in front of me, mumbling about how he didn't want to be here. Juliet and Sawyer were talking behind me and I thought I heard Kate's name mentioned, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction. For all I knew, he might have asked Juliet on a date.

"Get down!" Juliet yelled and everyone ducked as bullets flew passed us. Who the hell was shooting at us!

"Paddle," Sawyer yelled and I began furiously paddled as fast as I could.

My arms were aching and the salt water splashed everywhere, including my eyes. "I think they want their boat back."

"Move!"

I switched arms and continued to paddle. "These your people?"

"No, they yours?" Juliet answered back and I wondered if it could be the freighter crew coming back to finish the job.

"Shut up and keep paddling!" I heard Juliet pick up the rifle and begin firing at the boat behind us. They were still shooting, but thankfully their aim was off. "Paddle harder they're getting closer!"

My heart was pounding as I switched sides yet again, struggling to paddle as fast as I could. A loud, shrill hum pierced the atmosphere and I squeezed my eyes shut as a brilliant flash of light flashed in the sky. I had never been this happy to flash through time. Apparently Sawyer thought the same thing as he yelled, "Thank you Lord!"

I was soaked within a minute and I opened my eyes to a rainstorm. The sky was dark and the rain poured from the sky. "I take that back!"

"Paddle towards shore," Locke called and we continued paddling. I thought my arms would fall off by the time we reached the land.

The rain had thankfully stopped and we dragged the boat onto the beach, collapsing against it. "Remind me never to do that again," Miles said and once again I found myself next to him. I needed to find a new clique to hang around with.

"Where are we?" Daniel asked and I scanned the beach, hoping to find a landmark or some clue.

"Hard to tell until the sun comes up."

There was nothing near us except sand, water and trees. I rested my head against the boat and shut my eyes, wondering if we were going to get a change to nap before heading back into the jungle. "Oi, everyone look at this." Charlotte's voice rang around the beach and I reluctantly opened my eyes and sat up. "Wreckage. It looks like it just happened." I stood and followed the group over to where Charlotte was standing.

All around us was remnants of a ship. "Anyone speak French?" I glanced down at the wreckage and a quick pain went through my heart. Shannon spoke French, the only one of our survivors who did. "We can do much until the sun comes up. Why don't we all get some rest?"

I sat back by the boat, peeling off Boone's tee shirt and using it and my purse as a pillow. Miles, Daniel and Charlotte lay down near me, Juliet and Sawyer were on the other side of the boat and I didn't catch where Locke had wandered off.

Staring up at the stars, I struggled to take deep breaths and calm my pounding heart. I didn't need another anxiety attack.

Were we going to make it to the Orchid? Closing my eyes, I prayed that we would. "Please get us home," I whispered, feeling the tears well in my eyes. "Please."

* * *

**AN: And that's chapter 3. Thank you to the_werewolf_gal and JacDanvers for reviewing the previous chapter. And thanks to everyone who's added this to a Favorite or Alert list. Please leave a quick review on your way out. I greatly appreciate them! Even if it's just to say 'good chapter.'**

**Thanks again and enjoy Tuesday's episode!**


	4. Bloody Flashes

**Chapter 4: Bloody Flashes, Flash 8-14**

We stayed on the beach until the sun came up, and I managed a short nap. It was better than nothing and at this point, I would take whatever I could get. I learned three things during our short rest on the beach. One: Sawyer snored, two: Locke was restless and three: the beach was quieter than normal. Even the waves seemed to be subdued after the storm last night, breaking quietly against the sand.

"All right, let's head on out," Locke said sometime after the sun had risen.

I stood up, pulled my tee shirt over my head and my purse over my shoulder. At least now I had my journal. I could reread about happier times and write about whatever else we experience. During the next rest stop, I needed to write about being in the 1950's. Now that was an experience.

Our parade walked through the tree line and back into the jungle. I could only assume Locke knew which direction we needed to go in order to find the Orchid. I was lucky if I could find my way back to our old beach camp, especially being on this side of the island. Besides, who knew if the Orchid had even been built yet? How would we know when we reached it? And furthermore, what would happen if and when we did?

We had been walking for nearly two hours when the sky lit up once again. I clutched my head and fell to the ground, squeezing my eyes shut. "Damnit," I exclaimed, sitting up and holding my head.

Scanning our group, I caught Juliet, Charlotte and Miles wiping away bloody noses. How long until Sawyer, Locke and I were bleeding? Would it be long after that we started acting like Charlotte? She had taken to rambling, talking about things a child might. Daniel looked worried and I wondered if he knew more about what was going on than he was letting us know.

I stood up and stood next to Juliet. James was already standing, his rifle cocked and pointed down into a ditch. "Turn around slowly," he said and I followed the rifle point down. A man was standing in the ditch, his shirt covered with sweat stains.

"Oh goodness," I whispered when he had turned to face us.

"Jin?"

"Sawyer?" The two embraced and we walked closer. I ran up to him and gave him a quick hug. Man, I was happy to see someone else from our group.

"I thought you were on that boat! I thought you were dead."

"No," Jin said, pulling back from our hug. "Water."

I took a step back and glanced back at Locke. He looked impatient, more than ready to keep moving. When were we now?

"Where is Sun?"

Sawyer glanced back at Locke, who took over the explaining. "She's been rescued. I'm certain their home now."

Miles, Daniel and Charlotte moved away from our group and knelt by a nearby creek, filling their canteens and water bottles. I stood next to Locke as Sawyer struggled to explain the time flashes to Jin. He understood more English than when we crashed, but not nearly enough to understand our predicament. "Every time the sky lights up, we move through time." Sawyer tapped his watch to accentuate his point, but only succeeded in frustrating Jin.

He babbled something in Korean and stormed off towards the Science group. "Translate, please. Translate."

"You heard the man, translate." I followed Sawyer and Juliet over to the creek and knelt down, filling up my own water bottle. I could only assume he was speaking to Miles, but did Miles speak Korean? I thought he was Chinese.

"Uh, he's Korean. I'm from Encino."

Jin said something else, now his eyes fixed on Charlotte. She stood up to my complete surprise, "he wants to know how you're sure his wife is off the island."

"You speak Korean, Red?"

"Obviously," Miles responded, even though his comments weren't needed. We were all standing now, staring at her.

"Tell him I'm sure. But none of it will matter unless we make it to the Orchid." Locke was so certain all this would be fixed if we could just make it to the greenhouse. What if it didn't? What if we were travelling through time until we all died?

Charlotte told him, or so we hoped and they conversed for nearly a minute while the rest of us looked on in awkward silence. "Bring Sun back?" Jin asked, looking at Locke. "Why you bring her back?"

"Because she never should have left. Now we need to get moving. If we can get there before the next flash it'll be even better." Locke started walking and once again, we all fell in behind him.

I was getting awfully tired of trekking through the jungle, and I began to wish I had stayed behind on the beach. Wherever Rose and Bernard were, it had to be better than this place. Or even Claire. Where had she gone?

I followed behind Miles, listening to Daniel and Charlotte chat back and forth. Sawyer brushed passed me and walked up with Juliet, leaving me in the back with the Science Nerds. I really should stop calling them that, they weren't that bad.

"Oh no," Charlotte moaned from behind me and I glanced around as a shrill hum penetrated the atmosphere.

Clutching my head, I bent over and squeezed my eyes shut. When the hum stopped, I opened my eyes to pitch blackness. It was quiet for a moment and then another shrill hum. "Come on," Sawyer yelled as we grabbed our heads again.

Charlotte moaned and I fell to the ground, holding tightly to my head. It was pounding, and even the slightest movement sent me reeling. This time, the sun was shining, a small consolation. I stood up, still holding onto my head with one hand.

A thump behind me accompanied by a gasp caused me to turn around quickly. "Charlotte!" Charlotte had collapsed into the bushes.

We all rushed over, Juliet and Sawyer kneeling next to Daniel in the dirt. How long until we were all collapsing? "Hey, you might want to check your nose," Miles said, and I reached up quickly, finding a small trickle of blood. Headaches and a bloody nose, what was next?

"Charlotte? Can you hear me? Charlotte? It's Daniel."

Sitting up quickly, she began babbling in what I assumed was Korean. She was looking up at Jin and his eyes grew wide as she talked. "What? What's she saying?"

"Don't let them bring her back. No matter what, don't let them bring her back. This place is death." Daniel and Juliet managed to get her calmed down, resting her head on the ground once again.

I sat nearby, listening as Charlotte rambled. She was acting like a child, babbling about her daddy. "What the hell is she talking about?"

"I have no idea," Daniel replied. I glanced over at her, hoping Locke could fix this before we all ended up like that. The only thing I could compare it to was my Grandma in the nursing home. She had Alzheimer's and didn't remember any of us. At times, she talked normally and at others she babbled. Charlotte was babbling.

"All right, we need to get moving." Locke walked up to us and I stood, stretching out my legs.

"Someone help me with Charlotte, we'll have to carry her."

Locke shook his head, "no, she's gonna hold us up."

"We can't just leave her."

"Flashes are getting closer; your nose starts bleeding, you'll realize too that we need to get the heck out of dodge. We'll come back for her just as soon as we can." I actually agreed with Sawyer on that one. We needed to go now and carrying Charlotte would slow us down. The sooner we got to the Orchid, the sooner we could *hopefully* stop these flashes.

"No way, I'm not going to leave her behind."

"Its okay, go on without me," Charlotte said clearly from her place on the ground.

Daniel knelt next to her, holding her face in his hands. "No, we're not leaving you."

He really did love her; it was clear in his eyes and the way he looked at her. A hum sounded through the air and I squeezed my eyes shut once again. Charlotte screamed and the rest of us groaned as the sky lit up.

"We have to move, now," Locke said when the hum stopped. I sat on the ground, holding my head in my hands as Daniel and Charlotte talked.

"Go," he said after a minute. "I'm gonna stay with her."

Sawyer crossed in front of me, standing next to Locke. "Let me ask you something, John. If we don't even know when the hell we are, what happens if the Orchid ain't around no more?"

Locke paused for a moment. Obviously he hadn't thought about that. "Look for the well," Charlotte interjected from her place in the dirt. "You'll find it at the well."

"Yeah, sure, we'll do that." Sawyer said, holding out a hand to me and I took it, letting him pull me to my feet. I fell in line after Juliet and glanced back at Daniel just as we disappeared into the trees. I felt bad leaving him there, but what else were we supposed to do? We needed to stop this flashing before we all went crazy.

We trekked through the jungle and I promptly tripped over upturned roots and large rocks. Miles helped me up the first two times, but after that let me struggle by myself.

"We're here," Locke said and I stepped around a tree, looking up at a large building. A smile crossed my face as I glanced at Juliet. We made it, and it was actually here.

"Oh gosh," Juliet said, "what are the odds we'd end up in the same time as this thing?"

Another hum pierced the sky with the bright light. This was getting old; it was already old. When I opened my eyes, the Orchid was gone. "You just had to say something…"

Locke turned and brushed by us, knocking me aside. "Where are you going?" I asked, following James and Juliet after him. It was like he knew exactly where to go. We came to a small clearing and right in front of us was a largewell.

"How the hell did Charlotte know this was here?" Miles asked as we stared down at it.

A well, right near where the Orchid would be built. How did Charlotte know? I leaned on the edge and looked down into the pitch blackness. "You're going down there? What exactly are you hoping to find?"

"A way off the island," Locke answered.

"Expecting a subway?"

"Good-bye, James. Miles, I'll see you when I get back." Locke moved to climb over the wall, looking down as he grabbed at the rope.

"No, stop." I snapped my head up, looking at Jin. He rarely spoke, and certainly not English. "Don't bring Sun back."

Locke shook his head, "I have to bring them all back. That's how it works."

"How you know?"

"I just do," he said with a shrug.

Jin shook his head and grabbed at the rope, holding his knife to it. "I'll cut this." Gasping, my hand flew up to my mouth.

"No, you'll kill us all."

"This island is bad. You don't bring Sun back. You promise. You promise you don't bring my baby."

"All right," Locke agreed. "You have my word. I promise. I won't go to Sun, Jin, but she might come to me. Then what do I tell her?"

Jin paused for a moment before pulling at his wedding ring. "You tell her I'm dead. You give her this."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Locke said, taking the ring and stuffing it in his pocket.

Locke climbed over the edge and grabbed the rope tightly. "Are you sure you don't want us to lower you down?"

"Where would be the fun in that?"

"John, if whatever you're attempting to do actually works, thank you," Juliet said and I nodded in agreement.

Maybe he would succeed and we would get off this island once and for all. Although, after hoping for this so many times, it had become empty hope. Maybe it would happen, maybe it wouldn't. At this point, all I really cared about was stopping the flashes.

"You're welcome," he said with a small smile. He looked at the rope for a moment before starting to climb down.

We leaned over, watching as he disappeared into the black depths. "Uh oh," Miles said as the loud hum started again. This time, the light wasn't flashing from the sky, but from the well hole.

"John, damnit, hold on," Sawyer yelled, grabbing at the rope. I shut my eyes and held tightly to the well with my hands.

I fell to the ground and opened my eyes. The well was gone but Sawyer was still holding tightly to the rope. "I think you can let go of that now."

"No!" He pulled tightly, as if hoping to pull the rope through the dirt. "No, no." Dropping to the ground, he began digging into the dirt.

"James! James, stop," Juliet knelt next to him, trying to stop him from digging.

The three of us looked on and I pulled my legs to my chest. What would we do now? What could we do? Sawyer finally stopped digging and resigned to sitting, staring at the rope with Juliet next to him.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on my knees, silently wishing the throbbing pain in my head would go away. Now what?

* * *

**AN: I'm sorry this took so long to post. If you read any of my other stories/oneshots, you already know I've got a lot of RL stress. If you really want to know, check out my LJ (homepage link). ****The next one won't take as long to post, I promise. **

**Thanks to _Hailey Henz_, _the_werewolf_gal_, _PaperBooksInk_, _Celestial Pendent_, _pani zagloba_, _hodhod2011danger_, _CaptJessicaSparrow_ and _Jac Danvers _for reviewing the last chapter. You're all awesome! Please leave a review on your way out! Thanks!**


	5. The Final Flash

**Chapter 5: The Final Flash, Flash 15**

Locke was gone. The well was gone. Sawyer was clawing furiously at the dirt, maybe thinking he could dig Locke out. I sat and stared, my arms wrapped around my knees. I had fallen to the ground after the last flash, when the well disappeared. Rather than struggle to stand, I chose to stay down.

"Wherever John went, he's gone. And whenever we are is before that well was ever built." Juliet said from her kneeling position next to Sawyer.

"Yeah, I'd say way before," Miles commented, gazing out into the distance. I followed his gaze and gasped at what I saw.

"What makes you…?" Jin started until he too followed our eyes out across the jungle. It was the statue. There had been no statue on the island before, only part of a foot, a four-toed foot according to Sayid.

The five of us stood there, staring out at the statue. It was old, it had to be. When were we? I looked up towards the sky as it began to light up once more. Squeezing my eyes shut, I rested my head against my knees, trying to block out the light.

When it stopped, I shook my head and looked around. "What the hell was that?" Juliet asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"That one was different. That was more like an earthquake."I can't explain how, but it was different. I sat up and looked around, still clutching my head.

"Locke!" Sawyer exclaimed before jumping up and running to the well that had appeared once more. I watched as he jumped up and grabbed the rope to lower himself through the hole, but he didn't move. Juliet and I followed him over, and in any other circumstance, I would have laughed. The well had been filled in and Sawyer was standing on the top of a mound of dirt. "Great."

"My headache is gone," Juliet said and Miles chimed in with agreement. Reaching up,I brushed my nose before looking at my fellow of our noses were bleeding either. "I think it's over. John did it."

"Now what?" Jin asked and Sawyer replied. "Now we wait for him to come back."

"How long are we going to wait, Sawyer?" I asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

He met my eyes, "as long as it takes."

We stayed at the well for a few minutes until Juliet suggested we go look for and Juliet led the way and I followed behind. After walking for a few minutes,we met up with Daniel, but no Charlotte. He was mumbling, whispering to himself and I found him crazier than knelt down next to him, "Daniel, where's Charlotte?"

"She's… gone. She's dead. When the last flash hit, she disappeared and we stayed."

"Wait one minute, we stayed? You mean it's over?" Leave it to Sawyer to pick up on that and ignore the nearly crying man in front of us.

"Of course it's over. Wherever we are now… whenever we are… we're here for good." Daniel spoke clearly this time, but then he broke again, mumbling about not telling her. Whatever he wasn't going to tell her was obviously important, but who knew what he was talking about. I doubted even he knew.

Juliet stood and joined us again. "Until Dan checks back in, I say we head back to the beach. When Locke and everyone comes back, that's where they'll be looking for us."

"What, you didn't get enough flaming arrows shot at you? And your camp is gone, why bother?" Miles interrupted, with a fairly decent point. But the odds of us being in the same time as the arrows again, was highly unlikely. The beach was comfortable, it was home.

"James is right, Miles. We should head back to the beach. We survived there before, we can do it again."

Miles shook his head, "and when we get there, you'll decide you want to the Orchid. And when that gets boring, you'll want to go back to the beach. It's the only two plans you people have."

"Then by all means, come up with a better one," I shot back at him angrily, ignoring the surprised look on his face.

Sawyer turned and headed through the trees, and I followed him, happy to stay close to the only person I knew fairly well. The rest of our group followed close behind we walked in near silence. I heard Juliet and Sawyer talking quietly ahead, but I couldn't understand their conversation.

Somehow, Miles ended up in frontof the procession. I walked behind him, watching as he tossed a stick in the being on this island for three months hadn't caused me to lose twenty pounds, walking back and forth through the jungle might.

"You're going to hit yourself in the head," I said, silently hoping it would happen. I needed something to laugh at.

He shot a glare at me over his shoulder, but continued to toss it up and catch it. I shook my head and resumed watching, glancing down every now and then to make sure I didn't trip. That was just what I would need, to trip and fall into him. He'd probably blame it on me coming on to him, as if I would ever do such a thing.

Ten minutes later, three gunshots sounded and we all spun on the spot. Juliet and Sawyer raised there rifles and I ducked, crouching next to a tree. A woman screamed and they walked forward, moving towards the sound. Jin nudged my arm and motioned for me to follow and I did, walking behind them and keeping my eyes open.

We crept up behind some bushes and I could just make out a woman and two men. Ofcourse, the men had put a bag over the woman's head and pointed their weapons at her."Who do you think they are?"

"What does it matter, we don't get involved, right?" Miles asked as heturned to our resident physicist.

"It doesn't matter what we do. Whatever happened, happened." If he made little sense before, now after Charlotte's death, he made even less. Surely we had to make some impact on what would happen.

"Yeah, thanks anyway, Plato. I'm going over there. You still got my back?"

"Absolutely," Juliet responded and they walked forward slowly, towards the woman, rifles raised and ready to fire.

I stood back with Jin and Miles while Daniel sat on the ground. "Who do you think she is?" Jin asked me and I shrugged.

"I have no idea."

I could barely make out what Sawyer was saying and then I cringed as a gun went off and one of the men dropped. The other turned around and Sawyer fired.

I walked forward subconsciously towards the woman, Sawyer and Juliet. Jin followed and together we crossed the field. They pulled the bag off her head. "Who are you?" She asked, looking at each of us in turn. None of us answered, and she didn't force one out of us. Instead, she knelt down by the body of what must be her friend, brushing back his hair and whispering to him. I was suddenly reminded of Boone and I quickly looked away, biting my lip so that the tears welling in my eyes wouldn't fall.

Sitting down near Daniel, I could just make out Juliet's conversation. "Her friend's wearing a Dharma jumpsuit, puts us in the '70's, maybe '80's."

"And the guys with bags, Others?"

I didn't listen for her response. Turning away, I looked out straight ahead. I shivered as a breeze blew through the clearing and wrapped my arms around my chest. Now what were we going to do?

Sawyer knelt down by the woman, "we need to go."

"Who are you people?" The woman asked from her spot on the ground by the dead Dharmaman.

"Our ship wrecked here on our way to Tahiti. But that's not important. We have to get out of here." Sawyer shouldered the rifle and started to walk away.

"We have to bury them, we have to. The truce… oh God. We have to… and we have to bring him back home. We have to bring Paul with us… please… please…" The woman was in tears as she begged and my heart broke for her.

"I'll carry him," Jin said and I joined the others in digging a large hole for the two 'Others.' Our makeshift shovels made from old tree branches, just like when we first crashed and buried Scott and Boone.

No one spoke while we worked. Dirt was tossed over the edges of the hole and after we placed the bodies down inside, the dirt was tossed covered the area as best as we could and once they were buried, we began walking again, the woman leading the way. "Let me do the talking. I'm a professional."

"Yeah, a professional liar," I said under my breath and Sawyer shot me a glare. Despite the circumstances, I couldn't hold back a smile.

"We were on our way to Tahiti when our ship crashed. We got separated from the rest of the crew. When our friends show up, we can say they're with us," Sawyer said softly as we walked through the trees.

"Daniel! Stop!" Juliet yelled and he stopped, turning around to look at us behind him, a dazed look on his face. "Turn it off. It looks like some sort of sonic fence or something."

She knelt by one of the pillars and her fingers pressed a few buttons."Okay, it's off," she said a few minutes later. Sawyer told her to go first and I didn't blame was to say she actually turned it off?She walked across the fence and stood on the other side, "see, its fine."

I looked over at Sawyer and he nodded. "From here forward, I think we…" I didn't hear the rest of the sentence because as soon as I crossed the fence line, my head felt like it was going to burst. I collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain and then…

*~*~*

When I woke up, I was in a room with Juliet; Miles, Jin, Sawyer and Daniel were no where to be found. I sat up and looked around, rubbing my head to get rid of the ache. "Nice to see you're awake," a man said from across the room.

"Who are you?" I asked looking around and noting that Juliet was still out.

"My name is Horace and I'll be asking the questions here. What's your name? What are you doing here?" Horace leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You need to speak with James," Juliet's voice carried across the room as she sat up. "He's our ship captain."

Horace nodded and moved away from the wall. "You can join your other friends outside and I will speak with James. He should be coming around now." Opening the door, Horace gestured for us to leave and I stood up, walking out the door.

It was dark now, and the Barracks were lit with a few lights here and there. I looked around with a small smile on my face, seeing the house I had lived in only a few days ago, before all hell broke loose. As I stepped into the small courtyard, I looked around, trying to find our , Jin and Daniel were sitting in lawn chairs, sipping on water. I sat next to Jin and cradled my head in my hands. The ache in my head had dulled, but was still there.

"This is stupid. He's probably trying to explain time travel by now." Miles was really beginning to get on my nerves, even more than before.

I lifted my head off my arms and glared at him. "I'm sure Sawyer is fine. He knows what he's doing."

"What are you looking at?" Miles asked Juliet, ignoring my comment. I glanced over at her, finding her staring off into space.

"I lived here for over three years. That was my house over there," she said as shepointed at a house behind us. I had forgotten she lived here. In the chaos of the past few days, it was almost like she had been part of our group all along.

"You were in the Dharma Initiative?"

I zoned out, already knowing the full story."Hello. Someone will be along shortly to show you to your rooms. But in the meantime, Mr. LeFleur will explain the situation." Horace walked away, leaving Sawyer to roll his eyes. Pulling myself up to a sitting position, I looked at Sawyer.

"Mr. LeFleur?" Miles asked curiously.

"It's Creole, all right? I improvised."

"What happened?" I asked quietly, knowing everyone was waiting for the same thing.

"They're sending us on a sub tomorrow," Sawyer said. "He believed our story, butthey're putting us on a sub and shipping us off to Tahiti."

"How is that a bad thing?" Miles asked and I shook my head. We couldn't leave now, not if Locke was coming back for us.

A siren sounded through the Barracks and all the overhead lights clicked on. People were running around, some holding guns others just running into houses. I looked around with the rest of our group, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Come on," a man yelled, gesturing for us to follow him. "Move, now!" I stood frozen for a moment before Miles took my arm, pulling me with him. We were rushed down the sidewalk and into a house. "Heather, keep an eye on them," the man said to the only occupant in the house and she nodded before turning to look out the kitchen window, a shotgun clutched in her hands.

I sat on a couch while Sawyer and Juliet peered out a window. I wanted to peek too and be nosy, but I stayed in my spot. There was no need for me to see what was going on; I couldn't do anything about it anyway.

Sawyer and Juliet glanced at each other for a moment, apparently noting something that was happening outside. "Uh oh," he said and I was immediately curious. What was going on out there?

Sawyer paced the floor and Miles took up his place at the window. "Getting on that sub is starting to look like a really good idea now," he said, turning away from the window. "Sub? Anyone?"

"Hold your horses, bonsai; no one's getting on a sub."

Standing up and crossing the room, I peeked through the blinds at what was happening outside. Richard Alpert was standing near a tree in the center of town and Horace was walking quickly towards us.

Just then, the door swung open and Horace stepped into the house. "All right, LaFleur, how well did you bury those bodies?"

"That depends on how hard he looks."

Horace told the other man to talk to the arrow, whatever that meant. Before he could give us any orders, Sawyer spoke up and argued before walking out the door to talk to Richard Alpert.

**When **Sawyer came back ten minutes later and he Horace aside and the two talked for amoment. He thennodded to Juliet before heading out the door, this time with Horace leading the way. Rather than stay standing by the window, I sat on a nearby couch. "What do you thinks' going on?" Miles asked me, sitting down next to me.

I shrugged, "I have no idea. I've stopped trying to figure things out; I'm just along for the ride."

Resting my head against the back of the couch, I closed my eyes. Who knew how long it was going to take to get everything settled again? I concentrated on slowing my heartbeat and taking deep breaths. I didn't need another anxiety attack.

It was nearly silent in the house, except for a few people murmuring every once in a while. I could make out Juliet's voice and then the woman, but not exactly what they were saying. Keeping my eyes closed, I silently prayed that everything would work out and that we would be safe.

The next time my eyes opened, the lights were on and I was no longer leaning against the couch. My head was lying on something hard, bony up quickly, I practically jumped up from my seat. In my sleeping state, I had somehow slid down and rested my head on Miles' shoulder. He must have been sleeping as well, because I was certain he would never have let that happen if he was awake.

"What? What's going on?" He asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.

I shook my head and sat across the room to wait. "What time is it?" I asked the woman. She wasn't carrying the shotgun any longer and had abandoned her lookout post. I could only assume that the danger had passed.

"It's almost 3am," she said curtly.

The door opened and Sawyer walked in, glancing around at us. "Where's Juliet?"

"She went to the docks," Daniel replied, speaking for the first time in hours.

"Horace is giving us two weeks to look for our people. He's coming back in a few minutes to show us where we can sleep. I'm going to find Juliet." He disappeared out the door again and I stood up, stretching my arms over my head.

Ten minutes after Sawyer left, Horace arrived and showed us where we could sleep for the night. We had two weeks to wait for Locke to show up, and if he didn't… well, we'd deal with that when we came to that.

* * *

**AN: Re-loaded for gramatical failures. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. I hope you enjoy this one!**


	6. 1974

**Chapter 6: 1974**

_**January 26, 1974**_

Our two week stay had been extended indefinitely. Horace said he changed his mind about us joining the Dharma Initiative and gave us the aptitude test to assign jobs. I don't know what caused him to change his mind, but I for one was certainly glad we didn't have to leave the island. What a strange thing for me to be glad about, especially seeing as how just a few weeks ago I was begging for rescue. I just didn't want to go to the mainland a decade before I was to be born.

We all got jobs fairly well associated to our personalities, although some instances I wasn't sure about. Sawyer, Jin and Miles were assigned to Security, Juliet was in the Motor Pool, Daniel was with the physicists and I was with the school. I was to be an aide for the reminder of this school year. Once we started a new term, I was told I might be assigned an actual teaching position. I had to laugh when Horace said Sawyer was in security. Our resident con artist was going to be keeping us safe. Although, he had taken to the job and I was surprised at the change in him.

After our jobs were situated, the Dharma Initiative assigned us housing. Juliet and I were together, so were Miles and Daniel, and Sawyer and Jin. Our houses were close, nearly across the sidewalk from one another, so we could meet up quickly if necessary.

I looked around the place that I was now to call home. The walls were yellow, a darker shade that the outside of the house and the furniture resembled what my parents used to have in their house back in the 1970's. I supposed that made sense, seeing as how it was 1974. "Kalie, what bedroom do you want?" Juliet called, her voice pulling me from my thoughts. I shook my head, clearing away the cobwebs, and turned towards the hallway.

"I'm happy with whatever." Pushing myself up off the couch, I wandered back to the bedrooms. Our house had two, and a full bath with tub. Juliet had lain down on the bed in one room, so I walked across the hall to the second. The closet was full of clothes, most in my size which was nice but unexpected. I pulled a pair of jeans and a blouse from the hangers and made my way to the bathroom. Horace and the rest of the members of the Initiative had really been helpful in getting us settled. "Mind if I take a shower?" I asked,peeking into Juliet's roomand smiling as she shook her head.

I stripped out of my oversized clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor, and turned on the tap. Reaching my hand under the water, I adjusted the temperature until it was just perfect and stepped in. The water relaxed my tense muscles and fogged up the room. I washed my hair with the shampoo they left for us, inhaling the fruity smell.

I was peaceful for the first time in weeks. Even though we'd been here for two weeks now, I hadn't been able to relax. I was always worried we'd be sent away, off to a time and place I'd never been. It terrified me and I came up with different plans I could use in case we were sent away. One by one I dismissed them as too silly or outrageous. Who knew what I would do if/when the time came?

When my fingers and toes were pruned and I felt completely clean, I turned off the tap and pulled a towel from the rack. It was soft and more comfortable than anything I had at home. After dressing, I tossed the clothes into a hamper and wandered to the kitchen for a snack.

How wonderful it was to not have to forage for food! There were seven different things I wanted to eat in the cabinet, and not a single one was a piece of fruit or slice of boar. Sure, everything had the Dharma label, but it was food! We had cookies, cereal, oatmeal, and even a box of wine and some beer.

"Hey."

I turned at the sound of the voice and smiled. "Hey Sawyer." I grabbed the box of crackers from the cabinet and let the door slam. "What can I do for you?"

He leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. "We're having a meeting tonight, over at our house. We need to discuss what's going on and what we're going to do about it."

"Yeah, sure." I pulled a glass from the cabinet and filled it will water before sitting at the table. "That sounds like a plan."

"Make sure you don't call me Sawyer anymore."

I nodded, "I figured as much. What am I calling you instead?"

"LaFleur or Jim is fine."

"Fine." I looked down at my food, waiting for him to leave.

"Just make sure you and Juliet are at our house by eight. We need to be as discreet as possible."

I nodded again, sighing. "Got it, eight o'clock at your house. We'll be there."

"All right then. See you later." He turned and walked out the door, leaving me alone in the retro kitchen.

Carrying my crackers and water, I went back to what would be my bedroom to wait for Juliet to emerge. The shower cut on and I figured she'd be in there for at least twenty minutes. It was a lovely shower.

It was nearly six p.m. now, which gave us nearly two hours before needing to be at Sawyer's. Plenty of time to think. We were trapped in 1974 for who knows how long. I'm not even born yet, not for another eleven years. What were we going to do here? How long would we have to wait until Locke came back? Would we be trapped here forever? Well, at least until the Purge and all the Dharma folk die.

Was Locke coming back for us? It had been two weeks so far and no sign of him. It was possible he couldn't come back. Maybe I shouldn't keep hoping.

I had so much to worry about now, possibly even more than before. Now, we didn't have to fight to survive, everything we needed was here for us to use. Our only worries now were trying to fit in with the Dharma folk. And waiting for Locke to come back.

Two hours later, Juliet and I walked across the sidewalk to Sawyer's house. It was beautiful here; I had to give them that. The trees were in full bloom along with whatever flowers were in the gardens. The air was warm and it felt like summer, which threw off my internal calendar. It was January, but 80*. Months on this island still hadn't stopped my confusion.

I had spent the past half hour trying to figure out what I could call Sawyer. Nothing I tried sounded right to me, not since I had called him Sawyer for the past few months. Maybe I would just go with James. It was easy to remember, and Juliet got away with it, even though everyone here was under the assumption he hated it. Which he very well might, I wasn't sure.

My internal debate was cut short when we walked into the house. It was set up similar to ours, but with tan wallpaper instead of yellow. I wouldn't have minded the tan wallpaper. The yellow was just sickening.

Miles and Daniel were already there and I quickly scanned the room to find a place to sit that wasn't near them. Daniel was still too strange for me and Miles was creepy. I wound up on the couch next to Jin and waited for the meeting to begin.

Scanning our small group, I was pleased to see everyone had cleaned up. I still wasn't used to seeing everyone showered and dressed in clean clothes. Even Miles looked decent. "Okay, so we're here for who knows how long. We might as well make the most of it. We've got our job assignments, we got our houses, might as well mingle. Any problems? Anything you can think of to help us all fit in here?" Sawyer scanned the small group, but no one said anything.

Juliet leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Make sure not to mention anything that happened after 1974. The Berlin Wall is up; it's the U.S.S.R., Nixon is president." I wasn't even born in 1974, how was I supposed to keep track of what happened?

"Do we want to have weekly meetings? At least to keep each other sane if nothing else," I said, opening my mouth for the first time since walking in the door.

"That sounds like a good idea. Maybe have dinner? Play a few board games? It's going to be boring without DVDs and computers." Miles made a face that the mention of board games, but who cared what he thought? I wouldn't mind a boring game of Monopoly or Scrabble to keep my mind of the situation.

"I'm going to Ann Arbor," Daniel said, speaking for the first time in what felt likedays.

Everyone in the room turned towards him, our jaws dropping in surprise. "Now what the hell you gonna do that for?"

"It's the next logical thing to do," he mumbled, staring off into space.

Logical? What was logical about going to Ann Arbor? "Right, well the rest of us are staying here, right? We've all been assigned jobs and have places to live. Let's keep that going for as long as we can," Sawyer said, and I nodded in agreement.

We spent the next hour discussing our jobs and what we would do while here. I nodded when appropriate, content to let the others deal with the the meeting dismissed a short time later, I wandered back to the house alone. Juliet opted to stay behind and talk with Sawyerwhich didn't surprise me in the least. She was the only one near his age he hadn't though about hooking up with, in my opinion. Miles left behind me and I could hear his footsteps sounding on the pavement. "What job did they give you?" He asked and for a moment, I was surprised to find him speaking to me.

Turning, I stopped on the sidewalk, wondering if I even wanted to answer him. However, we were trapped here for who knows how long, might as well make the best of it. "I'm an aide with the school. Horace said maybe next term I'd have an actual teaching position."

"Aren't you a bit young to be teaching? You're what, fifteen?"

I clenched my jaw and struggled to take in a deep breath. "I'm nineteen, for your information. I told you that before, back when you were tied up in the Rec room?" Ignoring whatever comment he said next, I jogged up the steps and went into the house.

He just made me so angry, so frustrated. In the few weeks I'd known him, he'd already hit on me, belittled me and mocked me. How was I supposed to deal with him in such a close proximity?

_**May 24, 1974**_

Months had passed, and we were still here. There was no sign of Locke, though Sawyer, Jin and Miles had been searching daily. Daniel left on the sub to Ann Arbor back in February and we hadn't heard from him since. Miles said he was convinced that he was inventing the DVD and becoming rich and famous. I wasn't as sure. His mind had gone too much to be of use to anyone.

The school term was coming to a close, and they were thinking of giving me a classroom of my own. If not, I would be an aide again next term. I didn't mind being an aide, but I did want to teach. They had put me through dozens of Hostile drills along with classes on gun safety. I was the only one out of our group who had no experience with a weapon, not true any longer. Now I was certified in hand guns and rifles. It bothered me how comfortable that made me feel.

It was late afternoon and I just got home from school. I had to double check the students' projects and make sure they were put up to dry. Four months had gone by and I still wasn't used to living in 1974. I had to watch what I said or how I talked. The Berlin Wall was still standing and Iraq hadn't decided to hate the US yet.

Rather than wait until Juliet came home, I quickly changed out of my Dharma uniform and into jeans and Boone's tee shirt. When we arrived in Dharmaville, I realized I was still wearing it, and it brought me a small amount of comfort. I grabbed my journal off the night table and headed towards the door. Closing it behind me, I headed behind the houses and into the trees towards a small clearing I had discovered a few days previous. It was quiet and I needed time to think, alone.

I sat on a fallen log and dropped my head to my hands, letting the journal fall to the ground. I was over stressed and completely out of my element. There was no one here I could connect to, at least not completely. I'd had a few conversations with Juliet, but nothing that would qualify us as being friends. I missed Claire, I missed Charlie. I missed having people around I could talk to.

Tears welled in my eyes as I stared down at the ground. What was I doing here? Why couldn't I have stayed wherever Rose and Bernard had gone?

I picked the journal up from the ground and opened it, scanning the first few entries. The pages were crinkled and I smiled, remembering how I painstakingly dried out the pages so I could write on them. The first few entries were just descriptions of my fellow survivors, everyone from Locke to Ethan. It was nice, remembering back to a time when things were easy. As if anything on this island had ever been easy.

I brushed away a stray tear as I read through the next few entries. I had forgotten about half of the things I wrote of, only remembering the really good or really bad. I remembered Boone staying with me and waking up in his arms. I also remembered Claire's disappearance and then reappearance a few days later. I remembered Shannon being angry with me because Boone was hanging around with me and not her. Closing my eyes, I recalled kissing Boone, his lips against mine. His lips had been chapped and peeling, but felt so wonderful against mine.

I missed him; I missed having someone hold me as I fell asleep. Someday, maybe I'd have that feeling again, but for right now I was stuck being alone. There was no one here I'd ever be that comfortable with.

"What are you doing out here?" I looked up quickly at the sound of the voice, surprised to find him here of all places.

Wiping my eyes, I wondered how awful I looked. "I can be out here if I want," I said, closing the journal and standing up quickly. "I'm within the boundaries, don't worry."

"I know that," he said softly as he stepped towards me. "You're crying."

"No I'm not," I said, quickly walking quickly passed him.

Miles reached out and grabbed my arm, holding me tight. "Yes, you are, I'm not blind. Now, would you like to tell me why?"

"Why the hell would I tell you? I don't even know you." Rather than struggle, I let him hold my arm. Maybe I wanted to tell someone, maybe I wanted to talk about it. But did I want to talk about it with him? Most definitely not.

"We're stuck here for who knows how long; shouldn't we at least try to be friends?"

"I don't want to be friends with you," I said softly. "I want to get off this bloody island and away from everyone here."

"Then get on the sub! Go. What are you still doing here?" He pulled back, dropping my arm.

I turned towards the trees, shrugging my shoulders. "I don't know," I whispered. "Maybe because it's 1974 and I'm not supposed to be born for another eleven years."

"And I have another three years, but you don't see me complaining about it."

Laughing loudly, I turned back towards him. "You've complained about every single thing on this island, from the weather to the food to the accommodations."

"Sure, but not about being born in three years. So, you want to tell me why you're out here crying? I'm sure it's not just because it's 1974."

I shook my head, but sat back down on the log. Maybe it would be good to talk about this to someone, even if that person was Miles. "I'm… confused… lost, something."

"What about?"

Taking a deep breath, I stared straight ahead, looking into the trees and avoiding his eyes. "I had a boyfriend… before. He died… His leg was crushed when an old beachcraft fell from the canopy. But you knew that…" I trailed off, remembering his statement when we were travelling.

"That was months ago. I remember something about November."

I shrugged, "I still miss him."

"So that's what you're crying over? Your dead boyfriend?" He leaned against a nearby tree and crossed his arms over his chest.

"And this is why I didn't want to tell you. You of all people." Standing up quickly, I picked up the journal that had fallen to the dirt.

Brushing past him, I headed through the trees and towards my house. I didn't need his nonsense or snarky comments. "Kalie!" I heard him call, and I stopped, turning back towards the clearing with a sigh. He emerged from the trees and stood in front of me. "You never answered. Is that what you're crying about?"

"What do you care?"

"Because I'm having a rare moment of being nice. I'd take it while it's here. Look, you'll get over it. You'll move on and find someone new. Don't worry about being trapped here, we're all trapped here. I have more important things to be doing than sitting in the security office watching for Hostiles."

"Like what?" I asked, not in the least bit curious, but wanting to be polite.

"Like never mind. The point is…" He shrugged and leaned against a nearby tree again. "It's been months, it might be time to move on."

He waited for a moment, just standing there against the tree, before pushing off and heading out of the trees. When he disappeared into the dark foliage, I dropped to the ground, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms tightly around them.

I stayed there for a minute, maybe two, before biting my lip and looking up into the trees. Maybe he was right. Maybe this was my chance to start new, no attachments. I could make new friends, maybe find a new boyfriend. I had a new surrogate family and all would be good. We could survive here; I could survive here.

Rather than stay in the trees any longer, I stood up and brushed the debris off my jeans. With a quick glance around, I followed Miles' path through the trees and then down the sidewalk to my house. For the first time in days I had a genuine smile on my face as I waved to my fellow Dharma folk.

This was the start of my new life, might as well make it a good one.

* * *

**AN: Sorry this chapter is a few days late. I can't even describe how stressed I've been for the past... week? **

**I had some fun writing this chapter and the next few. I'm going to write specific scenes from their time in Dharmaville, rather than just jump to 1977. This way, you can see why Kalie makes some of the decisions she makes. **

**Thanks so much for reading and to: the_werewolf_gal, hodhod2011danger, Hailey_Henz, PaperBooksInk, and Jac Danvers for reviewing the last chapter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	7. 1975

**Chapter 7: 1975**

_**February 19, 1975**_

I was sitting at my desk, staring at a pile of Math tests. The only part I hated about teaching grading papers. Although, I did take some twisted pleasure from marking bright, red marks across some students' papers. It was evil, I know.

"Kay." I looked up from my desk and smiled. Miles walked through the door of the classroom and dropped his walkie onto a student's desk. "What are you doing tonight?"

I shuffled the papers into a pile and shoved them into my bag, a sly smiling playing on my lips. "Destroying the dreams of some children." He gave me a strange look and I couldn't help but burst out laughing. "Also known as grading Math tests. Why do you ask?"

"Go out with me."

My jaw fell open and I stared at him. "What?" Whatever I thought he was going to ask or say, that certainly wasn't even close.

"Go out with me," he said again.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh come on," he said, sitting on top of my desk. "It'll be fun. I've got the whole thing planned out."

I shook my head and picked up my bag, rolling my eyes at his immaturity."We had this discussion last year if I remember correctly. When we were in 1954? You gave theexcuse that everyone was hooking up except us. Remember,I told you no."

"Yeah, but that was in 1954. This is 1975. It's different now. We know Jim and Juliet are hooking up." I rolled my eyes and started walking out of the classroom. I heard his footsteps on the pavement, jogging to catch up with me.

"Miles…" I sighed, chuckling softly to myself. "This is a bad idea." I stopped on the sidewalk and looked over at him, a confident look on his face. "Fine, one date."

"Great. I'll pick you up around six, okay?"

"Fine," I said, trying to figure out if I made a good decision. "See you later."

He nodded and walked off quickly, heading towards the security office. I stood on the sidewalk for another five minutes, trying to decide if I should go or not. Maybe I could pretend to get sick?"Good afternoon, Kalie." Horace said, passing me on the sidewalk.

"Hi, Horace." Shaking my head, I continued walking forward towards my house. Juliet should be home now; maybe I should ask her if I'm being an idiot. She would be honest, telling me exactly what I needed to hear. I was being an idiot and had a moment of temporary insanity.

I walked up the steps and through the front door, dropping my bag onto the couch. "Juliet? Are you home?" I called, walking through the house towards her bedroom. When I was greeted with nothing but silence, I entered my room and dropped onto my bed. Was I really going to go out with him? And furthermore, what could we possible do in Dharmaville for a date?

The front door slammed shut, but I couldn't summon the energy to sit up. It had been a long day, and now I had an even longer night. "Kalie, are you home?"

"In here, Juliet." I sat up on my elbows and waited for her to stand in the doorway. Her footsteps sounded in the hallway and I forced a smile, waiting for her to appear.

She stood in my doorway a few minutes later dressedin her navy blue motor pool jumpsuit, and leaned against the doorframe. "What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath, laughing to myself. "Miles asked me out again and I said yes."

"Why would you do that?"

Laughing loudly, I shrugged. "I'm claiming temporary insanity. So he's picking me up at six tonight and I don't know what to do. It's been a long time since I've been on a date."

"Not as long as me, I'm sure." She walked into the room and sat next to me on the bed. "Well, he's not as much of a… so why did you say yes again?"

Laughing, I shrugged my shoulders."I don't know. But I need to start getting ready if he's picking me up soon." I stood up and walked to my closet, opening the door and staring at the outfits.

"Well, I'll leave you alone to change. James and Jin are coming over later to play Scrabble." She walked out of the room, pausing in the doorway. "Have a fun time."

"Yeah, right," I said, rolling my eyes.

I pulled out a pair of bellbottoms and my green and white checkered sweater, and laid them on the bed. After glancing at the clock, I headed to the bathroom and hopped in the shower. The hot water relaxed my tense muscles and the steam almost succeeded in clearing my head. What did he have planned? I couldn't think of much for us to do in Dharmaville, but maybe he came up with something.

Fifteen minutes after I had stepped in, I forced myself to turn off the water and climb out. I dried off and dressed quickly.I stood in front of the mirror, debating putting on makeup. Staring at my reflection, I couldn't help but notice how much I had changed in just a year. My hair was longer, down to the middle of my back, and the curls had relaxed into soft waves.

I almost didn't recognize my eyes; they looked heavier than before, darker even. I couldn't remember when this happened. Shaking my head, I blinked and reached for my makeup bag.I settled for some eye shadow, mascara and lip-gloss, not wanting to overdo it. "Kalie?" Juliet poked her head into my room, "Miles is here."

"He's early," I said, glancing at the clock. After one last look in the mirror, I slipped my feet into my brown boots and walked out the door. "Hey," I said, feeling my cheeks glow bright pink.

"Hey, you ready?"

I nodded, glancing at Juliet. "Have fun playing Scrabble." Miles held out his hand and I took it, following him out the door and trying to ignore the look Juliet gave us."So, where are we going?"

"You'll see."

We walked down the sidewalk and out to a waiting jeep. To my complete surprise, he opened the door for me. "Thank you," I said softly, pulling my legs in and putting my hands in my lap.

This was the most awkward situation I'd been in since arriving on this island, including the time Sayid found Boone tickling me. Of all the things… "So, where are we going?" I asked for the second timewhen Miles climbed into the jeep.

"You'll see," he said again and stuck the key in the ignition.

He drove off, through the Dharma roads and into the woods. I stayed still and we drove in near silence. Every few minutes he would make a comment or tell a story from work and I smiled politely, laughing if the situation called for it. I was nervous, and kept my hands clasped together, rather than picking at my nails as I had been known to do.

"Here we are," he said ten minutes later. I opened the jeep door and stepped out, sticking my hands in my pockets and waiting for him to tell me where to go. "This way."

I followed him around the jeep and through a small group of trees. Set up in the small clearing, was a blanket and a picnic basket. "Well this is unexpected," I said softly before sitting down on the blanket. I kicked off my boots and placed them next to me.

Miles sat across from me and opened up the basket. He pulled out plates, sandwiches, a bottle of Dharma wine and all the necessities for a picnic dinner. "What were you expecting?"

"I don't know, but certainly not this." I unwrapped the offered sandwich and took a bite, shaking my head. Who would have thought Miles could be sweet like this?

We ate in near silence, making small talk about daily activities. This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. He was as much of an ass when it was just the two of us. When others were around, he made snarky and sarcastic comments. But now that we were alone, he was nice.

I hadn't been on many dates, but so far, this was the best yet. After two hours of staying in the small clearing, we slowly packed up our picnic and headed back to the jeep. He held my hand tightly in his, even helping me into the jeep before tossing the basket into the back.

We drove back to the town center and Miles parked in the lot nearest my house, turning off the ignition. He sat, staring out the front window while I stared at my hands. It was an awkward silence, our first since the start of the date. "I should get you back home. You have to work in the morning."

"Yeah," I agreed and opened my door. Stepping out, I grabbed my purse and shut the door behind me. Miles came around to my side of the jeep and slipped his hand into mine. It felt nice, having him this close, even if it did cause confusion inside me. I liked him, I did, but I missed still Boone, even though I tried hard not to.

We walked down the sidewalk, hand in hand, before coming up to my porch. I could hear Juliet laughing inside and I smiled in spite of myself. It was good that they were having fun, that James was teasing her. I thought there was something more to it than mere friendship, but no one else agreed.

He stood in front of me andI looked up at him. He couldn't be more than three inches taller than me, just enough that I had to lift my chin to meet his eyes. "Thank you for a nice night."

I glanced sideways, trying to decide what was going to happen next. Did I go inside? Was he going to kiss me? "Have a good night," he said softly, leaning in towards me.

Did I want to kiss him? I hadn't kissed anyone since Boone; I wasn't counting the quick little peck with Adam before he died. Shutting my eyes, I waited to see if his lips brushed mine. I slowly counted to five, and when I hit the last number, I felt a spark as his lips brushed against mine. It was a short kiss, but I savored it to recall later. His lips were soft where Boone's had been chapped, and they molded around mine in near perfection.

"Bye," I whispered when he pulled away.

Feeling my cheeks blush brilliant pink, I turned and opened the door. Juliet, James and Jin were still playing Scrabble and I rushed passed them and into my room. "Kalie?" Juliet's voice echoed through the hallway and I felt very much like a child trying to get passed her parents after a date.

I quickly pulled on my pajamas and slid my feet into my slippers before walking back into the living room. "Who's winning?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice nonchalant with little success.

"Surprisingly, James is," Juliet answered, placing a few tiles onto the board.

"How is that surprising?" James asked, narrowing his eyes at her. Trying not to laugh,I glanced down at Jin's tiles and pointed out a word he had missed. The poor guy barely spoke English; it was only fair to give him a bit of help. "So, how was your date?" James asked, a smirk on his face as he leaned back against the couch.

My cheeks blushed again and I stuck my tongue out at him. "It was fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed to grade tests. Good night Jin, Juliet."

I retreated to my room, shutting and locking the door behind me. I collapsed onto the bed, laying back and closing my eyes. Miles. Of all people.

His kiss was different from Boone's, a bit more insistent and not nearly as sweet. I shouldn't be comparing the two. I had started to do that with Adam before… Was I doomed? Did everyone I loved have to die? I wasn't saying I loved Miles, or Adam for that matter, but I did care about him, both of them.

"You're such a Debbie-Downer," I said with a quick shake of my head. Sitting up, I pulled my briefcase onto the bed and retrieved my tests.

Rather than go over every minute of our date, I would do the work I needed to finish. These tests wouldn't grade themselves no matter how much I wanted them to.

_**April 18, 1975**_

"What's going on?" I asked, dropping my purse onto the coffee table in the living room. James and Juliet were sitting side-by-side on the couch, their hands clasped in their laps. "Why are you two acting weird?"

I was the last to arrive to the little pow-wow, having been stuck after school with a last minute rehearsal. We were putting on a recorder concert and some of the students still weren't ready. The constant hum of the recorders was giving me migraines; I couldn't wait until the nightmare was over.

"You can't see?" A sarcastic voice asked from somewhere near me. "They're getting it on and want our approval."

"No one was talking to you, Enos," James commented from his seat, but I noticed, he didn't deny it.

The room was silent, only the ticking of the clock on the wall made any noise in the house. I sat in an overstuffed armchair and looked at Juliet. "Well, what's going on?"

"We're moving in together and we need to discuss living arrangements." She paused for a moment, letting the news sink in. "Horace is letting us divvy up the houses between us. Now, the easiest way to organize this is to have Jin move in with Miles. That would leave Kalie alone, unless Horace decides something else. Does that sound good?"

I glanced around our small group. Jin was in the armchair opposite me while Miles was sitting backwards in one of our dining room chairs, his arms draped over the back. It sounded fine to me, but I was also getting my own house. "Yeah, that's just great. So I get Chewy here. Great, just great," Miles said as he rolled his eyes.

"Who is Chewy?" Jin asked, but no one bothered to answer him.

"Unless you have a better idea," James said with a sigh. "We're all ears."

I looked back and forth from James to Miles, almost missing the sly smile that crossed my 'boyfriend's' lips. "Kalie and I could move in together, that'd give Jin his own place."

"No," I said forcefully, putting my foot down. "Definitely not."

"Well, that's settled," Juliet said. "We'll tell Horace tomorrow that we got this all settled." Juliet stood and headed to the kitchen with James, leaving me with the boys.

"You don't want to live with me?" Miles asked, standing up from his chair and crossing the room.

Standing up from my chair, I reached over to the table and picked up my purse. "Not when I've only known you for just over a year," I said with a short laugh.

"Jim and Juliet have only known each other for a year."

A fair point, but I still wasn't convinced. "True. Living with Jin will do you some good. It'll teach you patience."

"I'll show you patience," he said, closing the gap and wrapping his arms around my waist. I glanced behind me to find Jin gone. I hadn't even heard the door open. Miles held me close to him, his fingers interlocking behind my back. "So, what about it?"

My arms slid up around his neck and I lightly kissed his cheek. "I need to go change and there's a meeting at the school in," I glanced over at the clock, "thirty minutes. Your lessons in patience will have to wait for another day."

His lips brushed against mine and I closed my eyes. I felt his fingers trailing up and down my back, tickling my spine. His tongue followed the outline of my lips, gently prying them apart to explore my mouth.

"Well isn't this just adorable."

Miles kissed me one last time before pulling away, my lips suddenly cool from the missing warmth of his mouth. I squeezed his hand before retrieving my purse from its place on the floor where I had dropped it. "I'll see you later," I said softly, pulling myself from his arms and walking down the hallway.

When I reached my room, I shut the door softly and collapsed onto my bed. My heart was pounding and I couldn't catch my breath. I was falling for him, and falling fast. This wasn't good.

_**December 25, 1975**_

"Merry Christmas, Kalie," Miles said, handing me a colorfully wrapped package. Grinning like a little girl, I reached out to take it, pouting when he pulled it back. "I think I should get a kiss first."

Sighing, I stood up and leaned in towards him. Instead of pressing my lips to his, I kissed his cheek. "You didn't say where."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head before handing me the package. "I could give you a place to kiss," he said under his breath.

I turned to him with my jaw open in mock surprise, when in actuality I was trying not to blush. "Miles! I'm not even going to justify that with a response." Turning away, I reached into my purse and pulled out his present. "Happy Christmas," I said, handing him the brightly wrapped package. I placed my gift in my purse to open later, when we were alone.

We separated a few minutes later, going our own way and mingling with other Dharma folk. I stood by a few teachers, talking about how nice a vacation was from the everyday stress. Miles was over with the security personnel but every once in a while I would catch him watching me. It was nice, knowing someone wanted to see me, cared about me.

When we joined up a short while later, he wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me close to him. James was making some stupid joke and I laughed, more amused at his expression than the joke itself. I leaned into Miles' solid chest and smiled. This was happy, spending Christmas with my surrogate family. It wasn't the same as having Dad and Ashton, but it was close and I liked it.

We laughed and joked, sharing memories and telling stories. James had been drinking and we quietly tried to walk him back to his house. Juliet took him inside while Miles and I walked down the sidewalk to my home, our hands clasped tightly together.

"Did you have a good Christmas?" He asked, holding the front door open for me.

"It was good," I agreed softly.

"Hey," he said softly, pointing above our heads.

I looked up, finding the mistletoe my housemate Caitlin hand hug earlier in the day. She hoped to bring Phil home with her after the security staff party. More power to her, Phil made me nervous. He was always lurking around, watching the girls.

"Well, I'm not one to mess with tradition." Miles stepped closer, his hands sliding around to my back and pulling me towards him.

I looked up into his eyes and smiled, thoroughly happy. Leaning down, his lips brushed against mine and I shut my eyes, sighing with happiness. Soft yet firm, his lips molded against mine. He wrapped his fingers in my hair, as he nibbled on my bottom lip. If this was heaven, I didn't want to leave.

Without removing his lips from mine, he picked me up and carried me into the house, kicking the door shut with his foot. He was careful not to knock my head into the wall as we entered my room. Laying me on the bed, he crawled over me, his lips moving from my lips to my neck.

"Miles," I whispered, reaching out and tilting his chin up so I could see his face.

"What?" He said breathlessly, his cheeks flushed.

Reaching out, I pulled his arms up and kissed him. "Not now." He opened his mouth to protest, but I shook my head. "I'm not ready for this now."

He pouted for a moment, possibly debating pressing the issue, before nodding and rolling off me. I curled up against his side and rested my head on his chest. Through his shirt, I could feel his heart pounding against his chest, quicker than usual.

He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight to his side and I closed my eyes, sighing in pleasure. "You're not upset with me, are you?" I asked softly, turning to look up at him.

"I'd like to be," he said, reaching down to adjust his pants. "But no, I'm not upset with you."

"Okay." Resting my head against his chest again, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This moment needed to be committed to memory, I would need to recall it later.

This was the best Christmas since crashing on this island. Granted, last Christmas hadn't been that exciting. We shared a rabbit dinner at Locke's house and Ben joined us, creating an awkward situation. If I had to spend my life here, like this, I could be happy.

* * *

**AN: Well that was 1975. What do you think? It's probably a bit confusing, the skipping around in time and I had another 2 scenes I wanted in 1975, but cut them at the last minute. Might post them later as a separate section... we'll see.**

**Well, thanks to: hodhod2011danger, the_werewolf_gal, pani_zagloba, Hailey_Henz, eyeon, CaptJessicaSparrow, and PaperBooksInk for reviewing the previous chapter. If you have any questions about this one, feel free to ask and I'll answer as best as I can :) Thanks for reading!**


	8. 1976

**Chapter 7: 1976**

_**June 30, 1976**_

We had been here for just over two and a half years, and it hadn't gotten any easier. Every day that passed I thought about our friends that had gone, either left the island or died. I found myself trying to remember what they looked like, and failing miserably. All I remembered of Shannon was her blonde hair and pink bikini, Hurley his curly hair, and Charlie his friendly smile. I couldn't hear their voices any more, not even if I tried.

I could say it was this that forced me to make my decision, but I knew that wasn't the case. It wasn't that I missed our friends or that I felt he wasn't worth the trouble.I was tired of seeing the way people looked at us, as if we didn't belong together. And not just because of the age thing, he's twenty-eight to my twenty-one, but the race thing as well. I was Arabic and he was Chinese, we didn't match.

I shouldn't worry about things like this, but it was hard not to. People stared. No matter how understanding the Dharma Initiative claimed to be, people still had prejudices. As happy as he made me, I couldn't be with him when so many people were against it. I didn't have the energy to ignore their stares and whispers as we walked passed. In 2004, this wouldn't have been as big a problem, but in 1976, it was.

Miles and I had been dating for just over a year and it had been the best time of my life. But there was no reason for him to be with me other than convenience; I didn't think he cared for me as much as I did for him. There were plenty other women in the Initiative that were both closer to his age and race. Those women would be better for him than me. Now I just needed to make him understand that.

Leaving right after school, I headed for my favorite clearing, ignoring the waves and calls of hello. I could think there and it was quiet. Sitting down on the dry-rotted log, I dropped my head to my hands and sighed. How was I going to tell him I didn't want to be with him anymore? He wouldn't understand; I was sure of that. But I had to make him… I had to try.

"Kay? What are you doing out here?" I looked up at the sound of his voice, both happy and sad to see him. He sat next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to him. Leaning in, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I would probably never be this close to him again, and I wanted to savor it for as long as I could.

"I was thinking," I said softly, burying my face in his shoulder. I could feel the tears coming, but I furiously blinked them away. I wouldn't get through this if I cried.

He squeezed my shoulder and gently kissed the top of my head. "That doesn't sound good."

Pulling back, I looked up at him, fighting the lump that was rising in my throat. "It's not working," I said, feeling the tears well in my eyes.

"What's not working?" He eyed me curiously, his brows narrowing on his face.

"Us," I whispered. Turning away, I studied the clumps of dirt on the ground. He was going to hate me.

His arm slipped away from my shoulders and I felt him stand up from the log. I didn't look up, but I knew he had moved far away from me. "What about us isn't working?"

"Don't you see the way people look at us? We're not the same! And furthermore, do you even know how old I am?" I looked up, meeting his eyes and waiting for a reaction. "I'm twenty-one," I said when he didn't answer. "You're seven years older than me."

He had leaned against a nearby tree, his arms crossed over his chest. "So what? Are you breaking up with me? Are we through?"

"Maybe? I don't know." I avoided his eyes once again, looking all around the clearing.

"How the hell do you not know?" I cringed at the tone of his voice. Never had he yelled at me before, near me and at others, but never was the tone directed at me.

"Fine," I said loudly, jumping up from my log and forcing my eyes to look at him. I summoned all my courage and stared directly into his eyes. I knew mine were glistening with tears, but I couldn't stop that now. "Yes, I'm breaking up with you." Tears slid down my cheeks and I stared at him.

I couldn't gauge his reaction; his face was void of emotion. "Just so I have this straight, you're breaking up with me because of everyone else's opinion of us? Right? Is that close?"

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. "No," I said softly. "I'm breaking up with you because this isn't going to work. We're two different people and there's no sense in trying to continue something that will fail."

Without saying another word, he turned and left the clearing. I stood for another minute before falling to my knees and letting the tears drop. "I'm sorry," I whispered to the empty air. "I'm so sorry."

_**July 17, 1976**_

It's the middle of July and scorching hot. I didn't remember last summer being this hot, or the one before it, but they had to have been. I glanced at the thermometer hanging on the side of my house, the temperature was 95* and it was barely noon. It was going to be a hot one.

I laid my head back against the house and shut my eyes. Sweat beaded on my forehead and arms and I just felt gross. Why couldn't there be a pool in paradise? Or at least access to a decent swimming hole? "Hey Tinkerbelle," a voice called from the sidewalk. Smiling, I looked up and waved to the visitor.

"Hey James. What brings you out here today?"

"Well, I've got me some good news." He leaned against my porch railing, a large grin on his face. "Guess who's going to be the new head of security."

I sat up quickly, my mouth falling open. "You're taking the mickey! That's wonderful!" Standing up, I wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Thanks," he said, cautiously hugging me back. "We're having a small party tonight over at our house, just us five. We've got snacks, beer," he said with a smile as he pulled out of our hug.

Sitting back on my chair, I forced a smile. "I'll see. I have some lesson plans to work on…" I trailed off, looking away from him.

"You can't avoid him forever."

"No, but I can try," I said with a quick smile. "I don't want to avoid him forever, just until he's not mad at me any longer."

"Good luck with that." James laughed as he turned to walk away. "We're meeting at seven tonight. Try to come. Juliet would like to see you."

I waved at his retreating form before dropping my head to my hands. Should I go? Did I really want to see him? It would be the first time we'd been in a room together since the breakup. I'd avoided the past three get-togethers by making up lame excuses about lessons and afterschool activities.

There was no decent excuse to get out of this one. Classes were over for the next few weeks, summer vacation, so there were no lesson plans for me to work on. James didn't believe my reasoning for one second, but it was nice of him to humor me. He could be decent every once in a while.

Rather than mull it over on the porch, I picked up my iced tea glass and brought it into the house. Did I want to go? No. Should I go, at least to see Juliet and Jin? Yes.

I spent my day reading and baking. A new shipment of books arrived on the last sub and one of my picks was Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice. So far it was all right, I just couldn't get into her writing. I found it dull and almost boring.

Taking a break from the novel, I baked a small batch of brownies to bring to the party. It was the only thing I knew I could make without mistake, and they were Miles' favorite. If I didn't manage to talk to him without incident, maybe the brownies could help.

When six finally rolled around, I dog-eared the page and headed back to my bedroom to change. It couldn't hurt to look nice, maybe show I wasn't as upset about our breakup as I actually was. After pulling on my favorite pair of bell bottoms and purple blouse, I slowly fixed my makeup. Eyeliner and mascara to my eyes, lip gloss to my lips.

At exactly quarter of seven, I shut the front door behind me and crossed the sidewalk to Juliet's and James' house. I waved to Jerry and Rosie on the way, forcing a smile. Jerry wasn't as creepy as Phil, but he was close. Rosie was just a typical stoner of the 1970's. Whether she actually smoked was another story, but she certainly acted like it.

"Hey," Juliet said happily when she opened the door. "I'm so glad you came!" She hugged me tightly and led me into the house.

I laughed softly to myself, smelling the alcohol on her breath. She'd been drinking, for probably the better half of the day. It wasn't like her to do that, but they did have really good news, and it was worth a celebration. "Glad to be invited. Have you been enjoying your day?"

"It's been wonderful! How about you?" After taking the tray of brownies from me, she grabbed a beer from the counter and held it out.

"I've been… around." Dropping my purse onto the coffee table, I sat on the couch and took the offered beer. "Did some reading, baked the brownies…" I shrugged.

Crossing my legs, I took a sip of the beer, grimacing at the strong taste. Beer wasn't my favorite drink, but I would take it. Maybe it would help give me the strength to get through this event.

A few minutes later, the front door opened and our last two joined the group."The party can now start!"

Looking up, I glanced away quickly at the new guests. Jin and Miles walked in, laughing and hugging Juliet. The beer in my stomach soured and I shut my eyes, wondering if I'd be able to get through this. I took a deep breath, fixed what I hoped was a happy expression on my face and stood up. "Hi Jin," I said, stepping by Juliet to give him a hug. "How are you?"

"I am good." His English was so much better than just a year ago.

"That's good to hear." I took another sip of my beer and sat back on the couch. I only needed to stay for an hour and a half. That would put me at eight thirty, late enough to claim exhaustion.

The group laughed and talked, joking about James being on the 'Light Side' versus the 'Dark Side' of the security force. It was humorous actually, the con man in charge with keeping us safe from the Hostiles.

I felt like such an outsider in the group, and I was certain it was my fault. After I broke up with Miles, I avoided our friends, keeping to myself and staying away. It was easier to avoid him if I didn't see anyone we mutually knew.

"Smile Tinkerbelle," James said and I looked up quickly, unavoidably meeting Miles' eyes.

Quickly moving my eyes away from Miles, I forced yet another smile up at James. "Sorry, I zoned out for a minute."

"Yeah, right," Miles mumbled and I struggled not to glare at him.

I couldn't do this. I couldn't stay here, not with him bitterly angry with me. "Mind if I use your bathroom?" I asked, placing my beer on the table as I stood up.

"Go ahead," Juliet said as she took another sip of her drink. She'd probably have a hangover in the morning.

Brushing past Miles, I followed the familiar path down the hall to the bathroom. All the Dharma houses were set up the same, the only difference being the décor.

When I reached the bathroom, I shut the door quietly and leaned against it. This was harder than I thought. I thought I could just ignore him and everything would be fine. But everything brought me back to him. It was awful, knowing how much I hurt him and knowing how angry he was with me.

I took a deep breath and opened the door, heading back down the hallway and into the living room. "Juliet, I think I'm going to head out. I'm getting a headache and I just feel like lying down." Bending down, I hugged James in his chair, "congratulations again. Bye Jin, Miles."

"Bye Kalie," I heard my friends call as I headed out the door. The front door closed behind me and I slowly walked down the steps, holding tightly to the railing. Well that was a load of fun, or not. But at the very least it was over, and I didn't have to worry about seeing him for another few days.

"Kalie." I turned at the sound of my name, happy to see Juliet and not someone else. "You forgot your purse."

"Thank. I'll see you later. Enjoy the party." After giving a quick wave, I began the short walk back to my house.

"He doesn't hate you, you know."

I paused on the sidewalk, turning around slowly. "Yes he does, and he has good reason to." I shrugged, "I'll see you."

Walking quietly, I climbed the steps and shut the front door behind me. I collapsed onto the couch, closing my eyes and lying limply in the cushions. What an awful evening; what an awful party. Would I ever be able to be in the same room as him?

_**October 25, 1976**_

We continued to avoid each other, only speaking when absolutely necessary. Well, in all actuality, I avoided him. I wasn't completely sure he was avoiding me. Our weekly dinners with James, Juliet and Jin were strained and I found myself skipping more and more.

I had only spoken a dozen words to him since James' promotion, and those were only professional at best: a comment here about a Hostile drill, a note there about the next security meeting. It was strained and more awkward than any relationship in my life.

Not even two weeks after the breakup, Phil, one of the security personnel, had asked me on a date. Why he thought it was acceptable was beyond me. Thankfully, I managed to let him down gently, but ever since he went out of his way to talk to me. I had thought Caitlin and he had hooked up, but apparently not.

It was now the third week of the new term and I had finally just learned the last of my students names. There were thirteen students in my fifth level class and had already shown how opinionated they could be. They had written stories on their favorite memory and I couldn't wait to get home to read them all.

After filing all the stories in my briefcase, I clicked off the lights and stepped out the door. I stuck the key in the lock and turned, hearing the click. I stepped backwards, walking right into a solid body. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't even…" Turning quickly, I glanced up to see who I had walked into. "Oh, it's you. Sorry," I mumbled, clutching my briefcase tightly and power walking away.

"No problem," Miles said from behind me.

I ducked behind a nearby building and leaned against it, my eyes closed tightly. It had been four months since our breakup, and I still wasn't over it. I missed him. I missed his sarcastic comments and his strange ability to be sweet and romantic while simultaneously being snarky. I missed talking to him and having him make fun of me. I missed his arms being wrapped around me while I fell asleep. Damnit, no matter how hard I tried to forget, I still missed him.

Rather than stay against the building, I took a deep breath and crossed the sidewalk and jogged up the steps to my house. I glanced quickly behind me, noticing he was still standing in the same place on the sidewalk, watching me. Pausing for a moment and meeting his eyes, I smiled slightly. I wasn't sure if he could see it, but it made me feel a bit better about our encounter.

After depositing my briefcase on the kitchen counter, I made my way back to my bedroom. Caitlin's door was wide open and a quick glance at the clock told me she was still at work. She had been assigned to the Motor Pool, even though she had a very limited knowledge of cars and how they worked. It was entertaining really, how they assigned jobs. More often than not, they paid little attention to your skills, relying only on the aptitude test.

I stepped out of my Dharma dress and into a worn pair of jeans and tee shirt. It was only four thirty, not early enough to worry about dinner.

As I wandered the house looking for something to occupy my attention, my mind wandered back to Miles. I wanted to talk to him… really talk to him. I wanted to hug him and having him laugh at me. I missed those things.

Before I could rethink my course of action, I quickly walked out the door not even bothering to take the time to lock it. I practically jogged down the sidewalk and up the porch steps. Knocking quickly on the door, I stood back and waited for someone to answer.

My heart pounded in my chest and my hands were shaking; I was nervous. I had no idea what I was going to say or even if he was home. What if he slammed the door in my face? Or worse, didn't answer. I could stand out here looking like an idiot until I walked back home, embarrassed.

The door slowly opened and instead of Miles, I was greeted with Jin. "Kalie? What are you doing here?"

"Jin, is Miles home?" My voice was high pitched and squeaky, and it shocked me for a second. "I really need to talk to him."

"Yes, he is in his room." Opening the screen door, he stepped aside and let me enter.

I brushed past him and headed down the familiar path to his room. Not only was it familiar because it was the same setup as my own house, but I had spent many days and nights in his room.

I knocked on the closed door, my hands sweating and shaking. "Give me a minute, Jin," his voice called and I felt myself get dizzy. What if… "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked as the door opened.

"I…" I trailed off, my voice vanishing. "I'm sorry," I said softly.

He stared at me for a minute, his expression easily readable. He was pissed. "You're sorry? For what? For bumping into me earlier? For breaking up with me? For what Kalie, because I know quite a few reasons why you should be sorry."

I was silent, wondering what Jin could be thinking as he listened to this conversation. He probably didn't understand half of what we said, but he probably got the gist, enough to tell James and Juliet. Without even saying a word, I turned and walked a few steps down the hall. This was a mistake. Why did I think I could talk to him?

"No," I said, turning back to his room. "I'm sorry for everything. I was stupid and insecure and I let everything get to me. I shouldn't care what other people think about us and I shouldn't worry about our ages. I like you… I really like you and I'm sorry for what I said. I'm sorry I hurt you and I'm sorry I've been so awful these past few months.

"I know I've been awful. I know I've…" I trailed off, my eyes welling with tears. "Miles, I'm sorry. I know you probably can't forgive me, but I needed you to know that. It's been bothering me for days now and… and I finally got the courage to come down here and tell you. So… there."

Rather than wait for him to argue or yell at me, I turned on my heel and walked down the hallway, ignoring the look on Jin's face. It was a mixture of concern and confusion and I was sure Miles had one similar.

Running up the steps, I closed and locked the front door behind me. I leaned against it, struggling to make my heartbeat slow. There, I said it. I finally got out what had been bothering me for, not days like I told Miles, but weeks… months even. Now, if he chose to ignore it and me that was fine. But if he wanted to do something about it, well it was his decision.

I slowly fixed my dinner, making a tuna sandwich with crisps rather than something elaborate. Caitlin still wasn't back, even though it was nearly seven, and I ate alone in the silent house. I had a few old records to occupy my attention and it was times like this I really missed my telly.

A loud knock on my door shook me from my mess of thoughts. "Coming," I called, depositing the empty plate and glass into the sink. I pulled open the door and my jaw dropped when I saw who was standing on my doorstep. "What are you doing here?" I whispered, leaning against the door.

"Why the hell did you do that? We were managing just fine without you apologizing." I bit my lip, knowing I deserved whatever he yelled at me. "Why did you have to do that?"

"Did you want to come in? Or are you going to yell at me out here so that everyone in the whole damn Initiative can hear?" I shocked myself with my tone and cuss word. I never swore, not when I might slip in front of the students.

I stepped aside, letting him brush by me. Shutting the door quietly, I stared at it for a minute before turning around. He was angry and had every right to be. All I could hope for now was maybe he wouldn't yell at me the entire conversation.

"Why Kalie? Why would you do that after months of not speaking?"

"I miss you," I whispered. "And yeah, I know I don't deserve to, but I wanted to apologize."

"You miss me? You miss me. Do you know how angry I've been with you?" I nodded, not trusting my voice to speak. He was here, right in front of me, closer than we'd been in months. "And you think you can just apologize and things will be fine?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I don't think things will be fine. I know you probably hate me and I'm sorry. I just…" I trailed off, shrugging my shoulders. He paced the floor in a small line, back and forth. "I won't talk to you anymore. We can go back to avoiding each other. I just wanted you to know how I felt."

He stopped his pacing and turned to look at me. "I don't want to go back to avoiding each other." Stepping forward, he stood in front of me, his hand coming up to caress my cheek. "I missed you, too."

"Did you?" I asked, looking up into his eyes. I wanted to believe that he missed me, that he ached as much as I had, but I wasn't certain.

"Yeah. Jin got tired of me after a few days. Can you promise you won't go off and breakup with me for no real reason again?" His lips twitched as he looked down at me, his fingers warm on my skin.

Biting my lip, I nodded. "Yes, I promise," I whispered.

"Good." He leaned down, his lips brushing against mine.

I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of his lips against mine. "I missed that," I said when he pulled away.

"Me too."

"Are we back together? Or just not arguing."

"Together, definitely."

* * *

**AN: Two chapters in one week :) How exciting! I decided to post this today rather than wait as a small birthday present to myself. Hope you enjoyed it! **

**Thank you to: ValFish, JacDanvers, eyeon, Hailey_Henz, CaptJessicaSparrow, pani_zagloba, PaperBooksInk, hodhod2011danger, the_werewolf_gal, and SimplyMarvy for reviewing the last chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	9. 1977

**Chapter 9: 1977**

_**March 14, 1977**_

Three years. Three yearswe have been living in Dharmaville but it didn't feel like it. It was hard to imagine that I had a life before this. I couldn't even remember what Dad and Ashton looked like anymore, not to mention Boone, Charlie or Claire.

I was twenty-two today, and I didn't feel like it. I still felt like the nineteen year old who crashed on the island with strangers. It didn't feel like I was old enough to buy alcohol or even teach the classes I was teaching. I felt like a lost child who needed an adult to help her.

After packing up the rest of the students' homework, I headed out of the classroom and locked the door behind me. I had no plans tonight, other than cleaning out the house, and even that wasn't all that exciting. What an awful way to spend my birthday.

I headed for home, smiling and waving at the people I passed. When I stepped inside, I kicked off my shoes and headed to my bedroom to change out of my uniform. That was one of the only good things about being in the Initiative; I didn't have to worry about choosing what to wear each day. I had four different uniforms that had the Dharma label and I interchanged them daily.

"Kay, are you here?"

Rolling my eyes, I pulled my blouse over my head and took a quick glance in the mirror. When I was certain I looked decent, I pulled open my door and forced a smile. "I'm here. Don't you know how to work a doorbell?" I asked, walking into the living room.

"I do, but where's the fun in that?" He walked up to me, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"You know, you're an awful lot sweeter than when we first met. Why is that?" I looked up into his eyes and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. I was honestly curious. He was a sarcastic jerk when we first met but now he was sweet, almost nice. It made me a bit nervous at times.

He pulled back and narrowed his eyes. "Sweeter? You think I'm sweeter?"

Shaking my head quickly, I smiled. "Yes, sort of. But it's fine. I like this you."

"Well," he said, leaning down to kiss my lips. "I should probably go back to being an ass."

Rolling my eyes, I slapped his shoulder and disentangled myself from his arms. "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be working?"

"Oh, hey, that's right. Here, try it on." He pulled a small item from his pocket and tossed it to me.

I barely caught it before it hit the ground. Opening up my palm, I stared down at it, slightly surprised. Shrugging, I slipped it on my right hand. "It fits fine, what's it for?" I leaned against the door and crossed my arms across my chest, looking up at him.

"It's your birthday, right?" Miles smirked at me as he sat in the chair and I looked down at my hand alarmed. "Don't overreact; that wasn't even a proposal. It's just a ring, for you to wear. It's your birthday present."

I looked down at my hand again, the small stone sparkling in the sunlight. "It's beautiful," I whispered. "Thank you."

"Don't go all sappy on me." He shook his head and motioned for me to join him on the couch.

I slowly walked across my living room and sat next to him, resting my head against his shoulder. "I love you," I said softly, closing my eyes as his arm wrapped around my shoulder.

"I know."

"Would it kill you to say it back once in a while?"

"Probably."

I rolled my eyes and slapped at his leg. I didn't have the energy to argue with him, even about this little matter. All he had to do was say it back, just once. I knew he loved me; he's the one that said it first, but that's been it. I could count on two hands the times he'd said it in the past two years. "Can't you just say it back? Just once?"

Crossing my arms, I leaned against him, smiling as his hand tilted my chin towards him. "I love you," he said softly before leaning in and kissing me softly.

"Thank you." I pulled back and rested my head on his shoulder. Closing my eyes, I smiled, happy and content.

This was one of the best birthdays I'd had in quite a while. After a good day at school, I now got to enjoy the night with the man I loved. What else could I want?

_**July 7, 1977**_

"Now class, our Time Signature here is 3/4, how many beats is that per measure, and what note gets the beat?" I walked up and down the aisles, smiling as every student raised their hand to answer the question. "Yes, Kelly?"

"There are three beats in a measure and the quarter note gets the beat." One of my best students grinned to herself, knowing she got the answer perfect.

I walked back to the front of the room and smiled at the class. "That's correct! The top number tells how many beats are in a measure and the bottom number…" I trailed off as the door to my classroom opened. I nodded towards the open door, acknowledging the person and then turned back to the class, hiding the smile that wanted to spread across my face. "The bottom number tells what type of note gets the beat.

"Now, using the staff paper in front of you, please write four measures of music. Don't forget to draw the treble clef, time signature, bar lines to separate the measures and the double bar at the end." I walked to the door and leaned against the doorframe.

"Yes Mr. LeFleur, what can I do for you?" I asked politely, grinning up at James.

"Well Ms. Carlyle, I need to speak with you at the end of the day," he said. Jim LeFleur was all business during work hours. There was no hint of the James I knew.

I nodded, glancing back at my class hard at work, their heads bent over their desk. "Is there something I need to know about?"

"Oh, it's something you need to know about, but I'll tell you later. Have fun with the rug-rats," he whispered with a grin before walking out and closing the door behind him.

I smiled to myself and walked back to the front of my class. "All right, who needs more time?" Most of the class raised their hands and lowered their eyes back to their papers.

"Ms. Carlyle?" A boy in the back of the room raised his hand and I walked back to see what his question was.

"Yes Ryan? Did you have a question about the assignment?" I bent down next to his desk and rested my elbows on my knees.

He shook his head, "no ma'am. How do you know Mr. LeFleur? He can be scary."

I managed to hold back my laughter. "I've known Mr. LeFleur for almost four years now and he's not scary at all. As long as you do as you're asked, you won't have a problem with him." I patted Ryan's shoulder as I stood up and made my way back to the front of the classroom.

"If you haven't finished yet, you will add this to your homework tonight. Please take out your assignment books and copy down the list on the board." There was a rustle of papers as the twelve students in my class pulled their assignment books from their bags. Pens scratched on paper and eyes flicked from the board to the notebooks.

"Have your assignments for class tomorrow. You are dismissed." I stepped back behind my desk as the students filed out. Collapsing into my chair I shook my head.

For two years now I had been teaching the fifth level at the Dharma School. My class covered everything from math and science to physical education and music. I got to teach instruments (what I was going to University for in the first place) on top of so many other things.

James was going by LeFleur now and the first name that popped into my head was Carlyle. It would look awfully suspicious if I changed it to Walker, so I kept it. It felt like Boone was with me, so I didn't mind. In fact, I had gotten used to and Juliet were the only ones who knew the reason; the other three had no clue. Miles had an idea, but he never asked and I didn't offer up the information.

I packed my briefcase and headed out of the classroom. Reaching my hand up, I fingered the necklace that never came off, Boone's necklace. I wanted to go to the spot where his grave would be, but James said I couldn't. The Hostiles would be more than happy to capture me if they found me in their territory.

Pulling the door shut behind me, I slid my key into the lock and checked it twice. "Hey there, Tinkerbelle." I dropped my head and smiled at the sound of his voice.

"Hello James. What can I do for you?"

"We've got a small issue that needs to be dealt with. Come on." James gently took my arm and led me down the road to one of the parking lots.

I followed him through the parking lot and into one of the blue Dharma vans. "Where are we going?"

"Well, I'm going to drive you down to your house." He paused for a moment before looking over at me. "They're back," he said simply and it took me a moment to figure out who he meant.

"They… Sayid? Jack and Hurley? Is Locke with them? Kate and Sun?"

"Jin found Jack, Hurley and Kate. We're not sure where Sayid and Sun are. And Kalie, Jack said Locke is dead."

I stopped walking, my hand halfway to the door handle. "What?"

"He's dead. Look, I need some clothes for Kate. Do you have anything that will fit her?" He looked over the hood of the car at me. Thinking quickly, I nodded, still in shock over Locke's death. "Great, hop in and I'll drop you off at your house."

I pulled the door open and slid in, pulling the door shut behind me. "They're back," I said as he started the van.

"'Fraid so."

"It's all over," I whispered, looking out the window.

"Nothing's over. This doesn't change anything," he insisted. "We adapt. We've done it before and we'll do it again."

I nodded, rolling my eyes as we pulled up outside my house. "Is there anything else you need? Food? Water?"

"Clothes should be it. I'm going to try to sneak them in as new recruits. There's a sub coming in this afternoon and they're short a few people. It should work, but we'll see." He half smiled at me and patted my knee. "It'll be fine."

"I'll get those clothes." I opened the door, slid out of the van and made my way to the house. After dropping my purse onto the table by the door, I kicked off my shoes and made my way back to my bedroom.

I pulled out a few pairs of pants and tops, tossing them on to my bed. Going to my dresser, I opened the drawers and grabbed a new package of socks, adding a few pairs to the pile. I folded the clothes, placing the socks on top, and walked out to James' van, barefoot.

"Thanks Tinkerbelle. I'll let you know anything as soon as I do."

"Could you find out about Sayid? Ask them if they know where he is?" I blurted out my questions before I could stop myself.

James looked over at me with a look that screamed pity. "Yeah, I'll ask. See you later." I stepped back as he started the van, driving off quickly.

With my hands on my hips, I watched him drive away. It was over. Jack would come in and try to fix things as usual. He always tried but wound up messing things up worse than they had been. Why couldn't they just stay away?

"Hey," a voice said softly as hands wrapped around my waist.

I turned around, reaching up and sliding my arms around his neck. "Hey," I replied with a smile. "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Yeah. Have you seen LaFleur? I've been trying to reach him on the walkie."

"Yeah, he just left here, something about recruits at the dock." There was no sense in me letting the cat out of the bag. James can tell him when he sees him.

Rolling his eyes, he looked down at me. "Great. I'll go find him." Placing a quick kiss on my nose, he smiled. "See you tonight."

I waved as he pulled away, walking back to the van. "Bye Miles," I called, watching him climb into the van.

Everything was going to change. Jack would try to fix things; Kate would attach herself to Jack, ruining everything with Juliet and James, and Hurley… Hurley would just be Hurley. I would get knocked aside, once more ignored and treated like a child.

But maybe things would be different. Maybe things had changed for the good and their return wouldn't ruin anything. Yeah, right.

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the week delay. I've been fighting a sinus infection and have spent the past week and a half sleeping rather than writing. Well, everyone returns in the next chapter and pretty soon, all hell breaks loose.**

**Thanks to: 4evertheSICKESTkid, Luli_Cullen, the_werewolf_gal, hodhod2011danger, Hailey_Henz, ValFish, pani_zagloba and eyeon for reviewing the previous chapter and thanks to everyone who read, but didn't review. Hope you all enjoyed this! **


	10. The Return

**Chapter 10: Day 1, The Return**

After watching Miles drive away, I returned to my house. I tossed my shoes in the closet with the realization that Horace was probably going to bring someone by to live with me. Why did I ever volunteer my extra bedroom? Oh yeah, I was being nice.

After Caitlin left the Initiative, I'd been living alone. It was nice, but I missed the company she provided, even if she was a gossip. On the positive side, I did always know what was going on with everyone else. I didn't care most of the time, but sometimes the news was interesting.

Rather than worry about that at the moment, I stripped out of my Dharma uniform and hopped into the shower. The hot water felt amazing, relaxing my tense muscles and clearing the negative thoughts from my mind. It was peaceful and quiet, and I stayed in the water until long after my fingers were wrinkled and pruned.

Maybe things wouldn't change. Maybe Jack, Kate and Hurley would just fit right in and everything would be fine. We were happy here and didn't need to be rescued, in my opinion.

After my shower, I dressed in an old pair of jeans and Boone's tee shirt from the back of my closet. When we arrived in Dharmaville, I realized I had been wearing one of his shirts. It made me feel better, helped me think he might be close to me. I still missed him, but I was okay. It'd been three years, more than enough time for me to get over him.

I sat on my porch with a cup of coffee and a leftover cinnamon roll from breakfast. The day was humid and a warm breeze blew in through the Barracks.

"Hi Ms. Carlyle," a young voice called. I looked over and smiled at a young Ben Linus. It was strange to see Ben as a child and I often wondered how Juliet felt about it, but I never got the courage to ask her.

"Hello Ben. Make sure you enjoy the rest of thisbeautiful day." I offered a wave and another smile before he walked away, back down the path towards his house. I truly felt sorry for the poor kid. His dad was turning into a drunk, spending his evenings holed up in his house with a can of beer and leaving poor Ben to fend for himself. If Ben did something wrong, his father punished him for it later, severely.

I closed my eyes and let the breeze blow my long hair, picking it up and twirling it around. It was long now, down to my waist and the curls had evened out, becoming more of a wave than the mass of curls it was before. I could hear the music from the barbeque for the new recruits and even saw a few walking around, trying to get acquainted with their new homes. Geronimo Jackson played over the speakers and I hummed along, keeping myself relaxed.

"Kalie, you might want to go inside. We have a 14J coming through." I opened my eyes and looked at my unwanted visitor. One of the security personnel, Sam, was standing on my steps and I couldn't believe I hadn't heard him walk up.

"Yeah, thanks, Sam." As he walked away, I scanned the area. Why were they marching a Hostile through town? Had he been over the line? Were we going to war? What was going on?

Coming up the walkway was James, Jin, Radzinsky, Phil… and Sayid. My heart stopped, why was he handcuffed? Was he the Hostile?I jumped up from my seat, knocking my coffee cup onto the porch floor and moved to walk down the steps and onto the sidewalk. I started towards them,but James met my eyes. I caught a small shake of his head and I stepped back, holding on to the railing so that I wouldn't faint.

I took a slow, deep breath and hoped Sayid would look up and meet my eyes. My silent wish was granted and his brown eyes met mine. We held our gaze as they walked down the sidewalk. All I wanted to do was run down and take his hand, hug him tightly and kiss his cheek. This was what I had been waiting three years for and now I couldn't go see him. Now he was being walked in handcuffs right past me.

What the bloody hell was happening? Jack, Kate and Hurley were at the new recruit barbeque and Sayid was being escorted as a Hostile. Where was Sun?

I had to keep my calm; I wasn't supposed to know Sayid and in order to keep what I have here… I can't acknowledge him. I was sure James was thinking the same thing. It would take all my energy to stay focused and not let anything slip.

My coffee cup had fallen to the floor when I jumped up, spilling the warm brown liquid onto the porch. After retrieving a towel from the kitchen, I mopped up the spill and placed the cup in the sink to be washed later. _How can I talk with him?_ I thought idly. "James is already doing that… he's taking care of it and you don't need to involve yourself."

There was a knock on the door and I heard Horace's voice from outside. "…Kalie Carlyle one of our teachers, offered up her extra bedroom for the time being, until we can get you situated into your own house," he said and I shook my head. Just when things start to get complicated, I have to have some brand new recruit living with me. I would have to show her the ropes and around for the next few days, just when I needed to be alone.

I opened the door and had to hold my shock. Kate, our Kate, stood with Horace on my doorstep. "Ah, good morning Kalie," he said with a smile. "I hope that the offer still stands to have one of our new recruits living with you. This is Kate Austen; she just arrived on the sub this morning."

It took a second for me to acknowledge what he had said. I shook my head and forced a smile that I hoped was a pleasant one. "Of course the offer is still open. Hi, Kate, I'm Kalie." I held out my hand and waited for her to take it. She seemed as shocked as I did; the name probably threw her off. "Come on in," I stepped aside and let the two enter.

"Well Kate, I'll let Kalie get you settled. If you need anything at all, we'd all be more than happy to help you out." Horace smiled at poor, confused Kate.

"Thank you," she said softly and Horace left, leaving us to shift in the awkward silence. "I thought your last name was Walker?" She asked once Horace had walked away from the house and out of earshot.

I shut the door and leaned against it. "It was. James took a new last name and when they asked me what mine was, Carlyle was the first thing my mind thought of. Couldn't very well change it without looking suspicious, could I?" I shrugged and smiled half-way, "besides, I like Carlyle anyway. I think I could get used to it. Thinking back, I probably could have used Jarrah, but it might look strange if you all came back with…" I trailed off, not sure if Kate knew they brought Sayid in through the camp in handcuffs.

She nodded and looked around. "You have a nice house." Awkward small-talk, my favorite.

Smiling again, I took in a deep breath. "Thank you. Here, I'll take you on the short tour. Here's the living room, the kitchen is off that way with a small dining table. The bedrooms are back this way…" we walked down the hall and I pointed out her room and the bathroom. "I'm sure you probably want to shower and change. There's some clothes in the closet of your room, most of it should fit you."

"Sawyer didn't tell us you were here. He did say Faraday's not here anymore. What happened to him?"

I sighed and shook my head. "That's a long story. Enjoy your shower." I walked away, leaving Kate alone at the end of the hall.

Sitting in the living room, my eyes fixed on the yellow wallpaper. I always hated yellow. The color should remind me of sunshine and spring, but it always made me think of bile.

Another knock at the door broke me from my reverie and I jumped up, walking to the door. I froze when I opened it and James stood in front of me. "I need to come in," he said softly and I stepped aside.

After shutting the door, I turned back around and leaned against it. "They think he's a spy," he started a few minutes later. "Radzinsky thinks he's a hostile spy and I can't convince him otherwise." He paused for a moment and I reached my hand up to finger the charm on my necklace. "They want me to kill him." James spoke softly and I almost didn't hear him.

"What?" My jaw dropped and my eyes lost focus.

"Radzinsky wants me to shoot him for being a spy." He ran a hand through his hair and met my eyes. They were filled with fear and sadness; it was almost more than I could bear.

I nodded and looked away before the tears filled my eyes. "What are you going to do? You can't kill him, James, you just can't."

"I know that, Kalie, but I'm out of options at the moment." He sighed again and I looked back up at him. Our new leader and a much better one than Jack had been if you ask me. He'd kept us safe these three long years, I trusted him enough to get us out of this mess as well. "I'm going to think on it tonight. The important thing is that he's safe. We've got him in a holding cell for the moment."

"Can… can I see him? I need to see him." My voice sounded so high pitched and for a moment, I wasn't sure it was actually mine. "Please, James?"

It took a moment for him to answer. "Yeah. Bring him a sandwich so it seems like you're there doing just that. I think Phil's on duty right now and we all know how dim-witted he is. Just be careful, Kalie." He reached out his arms and pulled me in for a hug. This almost shocked me more than when Kate showed up on my doorstep. James Ford (LeFleur) wasn't one for displays of affection.

"Kate's here," I said softly after pulling away from him. "She's living here now. Horace brought her by a few minutes ago." I closed my eyes for a moment then looked up into his face. "Everything's going to change now, isn't it?"

"I certainly hope not," he said softly. "Just be careful and keep your head down. They trust us here. We should be all right for now."

I nodded and forced a smile. "I'll go make Sayid a sandwich and bring it down there. Thank you, James."

"You're welcome. I'll see you later." He left, closing the front door behind him, leaving me along with my thoughts.

How did Sayid end up so far away from Jack, Hurley and Kate? Was Sun wandering the jungle as well? These thoughts raced through my mind as I fixed the sandwich. I placed an apple and a bottle of water in a paper bag and put the sandwich on top. This should pass inspection on a generic lunch for a prisoner, especially with Phil on guard.

As I was changing out of my current outfit and into nicer jeans and blouse, the water shut off in the bathroom. I wrote a quick note for Kate and left, trying to keep my heart rate normal as I walked down the sidewalks towards where my brother was being held.

"Hey Phil," I said, walking into the station.

"Kalie, what are you doing here?" He jumped up and walked towards me, a worried look on his face.

I shrugged my shoulders and tried to look innocent. "I wanted to see him. We have to go through all those drills with the students…" I trailed off, and tried to hastily gather my thoughts. I was certain I looked as frazzled as I felt and Phil would think it was from being so close to a Hostile, not from trying to deceive him."LeFleur said it would be all right. I brought him lunch."

"Well, if LeFleur said so." He pulled some keys out of his pocket and moved over to the door. Slipping the key in the lock, he turned it and pulled it open. "If you need me, wave at the camera. I'll keep the door open so I can hear you."

I nodded with a smile and stepped inside. After a quick glance up at the camera in the far corner, I walked into the room and peered into the cell. There was my older brother, lying on the cot. Before speaking, I stared at him. I hadn't seen him since that moment on the beach three years ago. He'd disappeared into the jungle with Kate and wound up on the eyes were closed and he appeared to be sleeping. He looked younger than I remembered, but it must be from the lack of a beard. "Hey Sayid," I said softly.

His eyes opened at the sound of my voice and he sat up. Our eyes met and he stood, walking to the bars of the cage. "Kalila. I'd wondered what happened to are you doing here? You are in the Initiative as well?"

I smiled and nodded. "I'm a teacher now. Ms. Kalie Carlyle, teacher of the fifth year Dharma School."

"Carlyle?" He asked with a knowing look.

"It was the first name that popped into my head when they asked me. It makes me feel okay, like he's some how here with me." I shrugged my shoulders, "what are you doing in here?"

"They believe me to be a Hostile." He sat back down on the cot and looked back at me, sadness in his eyes.

Nodding, I held out the paper bag. "James told me. Here, I made you lunch. I had to see you and James said this would be a good cover."

"Thank you," he said, walking over to take the bag from me.

"How are you back here, now?"

"We were on a plane headed to Guam. I did not know the others were going to be on the plane. It is a long story that I will have to tell you at some other time." He sat back down and pulled the lunch from the bag. Peeling the wax-paper away from the sandwich, he took and bite and smiled. "Thank you. But I'm sure you must leave. Seeing as how you are not supposed to know me, it would be suspicious if you spent too long in here."

I nodded and stepped back, away from the metal bars. "James will get you out of here. He's trying to formulate a plan now. I'm trying to hope that everything will be all right. Be safe, Sayid," I whispered with another smile.

I walked out the door and shut it behind me, letting the lock click into place. "He's eating it Phil, if you couldn't tell on your little black and white telly."

"Yes Kalie. So tell me. Are you doing anything special this evening?" The smile on his face sent a shiver up my spine. Phil was hitting on me.

I nodded as politely as I could. "I have a new recruit living with me for the time being and I need to show her around the place and to where she's going to be working. I figured it would be good manners to spend the evening with her, especially since she doesn't know anyone." _...Since she doesn't know anyone in public yet_, I amended silently. Kate knew people, me included.

"Oh, okay. Maybe we could get together another time."

"Sure," I said, holding back a cringe. "Well set something up. We can invite Miles and Nina too." I smiled again and headed out the door, walking as fast as I could without drawing attention. It would be a cold day in hell before I would 'get together' with Phil.

I walked back to my house, my head spinning. Would James be able to save him? Or was he going to be killed because Radzinsky overreacted about everything?

* * *

**AN: Early chapter, how exciting! I've had this one done for a while now so I decided to post it early for you. **

**I was excited to watch this weeks episode, and I might have an idea on what's going on. I'm probably wrong, but it's an idea! Oh and for anyone who was wondering, Boone will be back once we get to Season 6. I've got it almost all planned out! **

**Thanks to: Luli_Cullen, hodhod2011danger, PaperBooksInk, the_werewolf_gal, pani_zagloba and tntlostfan for reviewing the previous chapter. Hope you all enjoyed this one!**


	11. Wanting to Cry

**Chapter 11: Wanting to Cry, Day 2**

The next morning, I woke up and debated going over to Sayid's cell. I wasn't sure how suspicious it would be if I showed up two days in a row to bring him lunch. Rather than risk it, I opted to stay away. Phil and whoever else was on duty would make sure he ate. It wasn't my job. I needed to stay under the radar and avoiding Sayid was the way to do it.

After doing my morning routine, I headed to school, ready for a long day. The early dismissal the day before had messed up my schedule and now I needed to make up for it today. We had projects to do, notes to take and a recorder practice that I wasn't looking forward to.

I assigned their new project and the students spent the better half of their afternoon researching ancient Egypt and hieroglyphics. I walked the classroom, helping if needed or pointing out a source they forgot about. Thankfully, the day passed relatively quickly and soon, it was just about time for dismissal.

I gave them the last ten minutes to chat with their friends or work on their homework. They had been so well behaved; I couldn't force them to work any more. It wasn't fair in my opinion. As they talked, I looked down at my lesson plan book, debating the due date on their project.

"Ms. Carlyle?" One of the students called from the back of the room, shaking me from my reverie.

I quickly shook my head and smiled out to the classroom. "Yes?"

"Did Mr. LeFleur really capture a Hostile? Ben Linus said…" The class grew quiet and they all turned to me, waiting for an answer. All they had to do was ask their parents, but they wouldn't. Asking theteacher was always the easier option.

"Kyle, is that an appropriate question to ask in class?" I frowned at the student in question and he shook his head, his cheeks turning bright pink.

"No ma'am. I'm sorry," Kyle lowered his head and went back to his work. I shook my head and resumed staring down at my lesson plan book while the students went back to chatting, occasionally glancing up at me or over at Kyle.

When the bell rang, the students quickly collected their things and headed out the door. I stood outside for a few minutes, watching students collect their things and walk home. Once I was certain everyone was gone and the building was empty of students, I filed my papers in my briefcase and headed out the door, locking it behind me.

I headed down the sidewalk, waving to a few students as I went. It was a beautiful day and had been for several days now. I kept waiting for the torrential rainstorm to hit, but it hadn't as of yet. Taking in a deep breath, I shut my eyes and smiled. The flowers were in full bloom and it smelled wonderful.

After changing out of my uniform and into jeans and a blouse, I fixed a cup of tea and sat on the front porch. Miles was supposed to come over and I was cooking dinner, but with everything that was going on, I wasn't sure if our plans had stayed the same. He very rarely stood me up, and only when it had been necessary. The last time had been a security breach at the Looking Glass. The people down there had seen a sub nearby and Miles had been sent to investigate. It turned out to be nothing, but it was still inconvenient.

I looked down atthe small diamond on my finger glittered in the sunlight and smiled. It wasn't an engagement ring, but closer along the idea of a promise ring. I wasn't ready to marry him, I was still too young. We were still together, and that was all I cared about at the moment.

Children played Frisbee in the yard and others sat around. The sky grew dark as I waited for Miles and one by one, all the children went inside. I knew it was late, but I wasn't exactly sure what crickets emerged, singing their songs as the lightning bugs blinked in the semi-darkness. I watched James walk up the steps to his house before turning back and heading towards me. "What are you doing here?" I asked, standing up to give him a quick hug.

He leaned against the rail, successfully avoiding my outstretched arms."Kate inside?" No hi, how are you, just down to business.

"Yeah, she's inside." He knocked and avoided looking at me.

The door opened and she glanced at me before looking up at James. "Hi."

"Kalie, do you mind?"

Rolling my eyes, I picked up my teacup and headed into the house. I shouldn't complain, but Kate got on my nerves. She played around with James before, and I wouldn't put it past her to do it again.

I could barely make out their voices, but I knew they were talking. Glancing over at the clock, I sighed when I saw the time. It was nearly nine thirty, much longer after Miles was supposed to show up. He didn't stand me up often, but when he did it hurt.

A loud crashing sound echoed from outside and I ran to the door, pulling it open and stepping out. "What's going on?" I asked, peeking out. Just as I looked, one of our Dharma vans flew passed, its inside alight with flames. "Oh my!" My hands flew to my mouth and I followed James and Kate down the steps. The van crashed into a house and the flames were quickly spreading. Before our very eyes, the house was going up in flames.

I was frozen for a moment, staring at the fire. In the three years we had been here, we'd never had a burning bus. Now that Jack, Kate and Hurley were back, things were already falling apart. I heard James say something similar to Kate before heading off to the water my head, I pulled myself from my thoughts and ran towards the building. People were already climbing from the windows. I helped a girl through, recognizing her as one of my students from the previous year. "Jessie, is anyone else inside?" I asked the girl and she shook her head. Kate helped them walk away while I ran towards the water tower. Just as we made it away from the building, an explosion sounded and the force of it knocked me down.

Standing up and brushing off my pants, I raced over to one of the water towers and joined the group. We grabbed hoses and soon, the water flowed onto the flames. It wasn't enough and the fire kept spreading. More water hoses came and together, we managed to get the fire down. "I'll take that hose," Phil said, jogging up to me. Without waiting for an answer, he took it from me and I stood aside, my hands on my hips.

As the flames died, the commotion died. Slowly, people went back to their houses and the hoses were rolled back up. Horace was surveying the damage and Jessie's family milled about."Kalie!" Turning on my spot, I sighed, not really wanting to see him right now. "What are you doing?"

"Well I was waiting for you when the bus drove through the house. What was I supposed to do, let everyone else fight the fire? Where were you?"

"It's been a long night. Can we go back to your house and I'll tell you all about it?" He placed his hand on my lower back and began leading me towards the house.

Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, I shook my head. "No. I need to go to bed. I'm sorry, but you'll have to tell me tomorrow." I stood on my toes to kiss his cheek before walking away. I didn't want to talk to him now, not after I wanted so long for him. I knew it wasn't his fault when he stood me up, but like is at before, it still hurt.

I left Miles standing on the sidewalk and walked back to my house. Kate was still out there, so I left the door unlocked. Even though we'd had to deal with a terrorist fire, I still trusted the people I lived with. I didn't think anyone would steal from me and if they did, well there wasn't far for us to look.

Even through the closed doors and windows, I could hear Horace talking to the group. I'd find out what he was talking about tomorrow; I wasn't in the mood to go back out there. That was probably the only downfall to living in such a close-knit community. Everyone was all ready to help out, at times ignoring their own obligations. There were times when I needed to be alone and living in Dharmaville wasn't the easiest place to be alone.

I changed into my pajamas and crawled into bed. Outside, I could hear the work crew pulling the van from the house, the metal creaking and groaning. It was noisy and I covered my head with my pillow in a desperate attempt to drown out the noise. No such luck, but I somehow managed to fall asleep.

When I woke up the next morning, the entire town center was buzzing with gossip as everyone discussed the fire from the previous night. School was closed as everyone shifted around duty schedules to help clean up and rebuild the house. I took my coffee out to the porch and leaned against the rail, looking out in to the courtyard. The Motor Pool crew had already removed the bus from the house and set to work cleaning up the spilt fuel and oil. The foul smell filled the air and I wrinkled my nose at it.

"Kalie!" Sighing, I forced a smile and waved at Miles. He jogged towards me and took the steps in one jump. "Hey. Did you sleep well?"

"What do you think?" I side-stepped his kiss and sat in one of the outside chairs. "I spent the beginning of last night fighting a fire after having to deal with James and Kate. I'm exhausted."

"Well then, you're just going to love this. Now, don't kill the messenger." He held up his hands in surrender and I leaned forward, wondering what could be the problem. "Sayid escaped and he shot the kid."

My mouth fell open and I stared at him. "Which kid?" I whispered, placing my coffee cup on the ground before I dropped it. Sayid shot a child.

"Ben Linus. That's what Horace was telling everyone last night, right after you went inside. Someone set the fire in the bus and let your pal out."

"He's not my pal," I whispered. "He's my brother. I thought you knew that."

"Your…" he turned away, shaking his head. In the two years we'd been together, it had never come up, of course he hadn't known.

Picking up my cup, I stood up and headed into the house. Why would Sayid escape? Who would let him out? And furthermore, why would he shoot Ben? Sure, he grew up into an awful person, but right now he's just a kid. He's just a kid with an awful father and home life.

I put the cup in the sink, taking the extra time to rinse it out."Is he okay? Ben?" I asked when I heard Miles enter the kitchen.

Placing my hands on the counter, I stared out the window. "He's in the infirmary right now. Juliet's watching him. I have to get Jack and the others, and keep them confined. Did you want to keep me company?"

"Maybe in an hour. I need to go talk to James."

"About what? There's nothing he can do."

"I just do. Miles…" I shook my head and turned around. "I… I just need to talk to him. Do you know where he is?"

Miles sighed and leaned against the wall. "Last I knew he was in the security office. Whether or not he's still there…"

"Okay, thanks." I slowly crossed the room and slid my arms around his waist. "I'll be back and I'll help you babysit." Standing on my toes, I placed a soft kiss on his cheek, moving slowly so that I brushed his lips. "I love you."

"Love you, too," he said with a sigh. His hands rested on my lower back and he held me close.

Leaning my head down, I rested it against his chest. I could feel his heart beating and it was comforting. It was the only thing that was still constant, that wouldn't change with Kate, Jack and Hurley here. "I'll see you later."

I pulled back and kissed him one last time. "I'll walk you out," he said, taking my hand tightly in his.

After picking my purse up from the table, we headed out the front door, taking a moment to lock it behind me. "I'll be back in a little while."

"Sure." Dropping my hand, he headed off towards the mess hall and I made my way to the Security Office.

I was halfway there when I saw him emerge from the building."James! James!" I yelled as I ran to catch up with him. His steps were three of mine, so it did look like I was running.

"What Kalie?" He stopped suddenly and spun to face me, causing me to nearly run into him.

I stopped a few inches short of him, "where's Sayid?" I tried to keep my voice low so that the people around us wouldn't hear.

"I don't know. Now go away; find something productive to do and leave me alone!" He turned again and walked away while I stood, staring at his back. I don't believe that he yelled at me, he's never yelled at me.

"James," I yelled again and he stopped, his head hung low.

"Look," James said as he turned back to me. His voice had changed and now he was speaking in a softer tone, not the angry one from before. "I don't know where he is. Someone let him out and he's escaped. Right now, I'd be more worried about you than Sayid. I'm sure as hell more worried about how I'm going to keep this all straight. Horace is suspicious of Kate and Jack, little Ben's been shot, and everything's going to hell." He paused and took a deep breath. "Go back to your house; make a cup of tea and wait. I know it's not much, but it's all I can tell you at the moment."

My hand reached up and I held on to the charm of my necklace, twisting it around between my fingers. "All right," I whispered. "If you need any help…"

"I won't. Just do like I asked and you'll be fine. I'm sorry Kalie, I wish there was more I could tell you." He looked visibly worried, and the stress had already taken its toll on his handsome face. His lips were fixed in a frown and his eyes tired, not anything like the James Ford I had know for the past few years.

He turned and walked away, for good this time, but I stayed rooted to the spot, unable to force my legs to walk. Why had Sayid disappeared? Didn't he want to stay here with us?

He must have changed. It'd been three years; he couldn't be the same person he was when he left.

I stood on the sidewalk, my heart pounding in my chest. When James told me they were back, I said things were going to change. I didn't want it to and I hoped it wouldn't, but things were changing. I hated change.

* * *

**AN: I hope you enjoyed that chapter. I don't have much else to say :)**

**Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed the previous chapter. Please leave a review on the way out! I'd like to know what you thought!**


	12. The Beginning of the End

**Chapter 12: The Beginning of the End, Day 3-4**

It was quiet in Dharmaville and it was hard to believe we had had such excitement the night before. I left the sidewalk outside the Security Office and walked down to the house Miles shared with Jin. Jogging up the steps, I knocked twice on the door. It took a minute, but finally, someone answered. "Hey," I said when Miles opened the door.

"Hey." I pulled open the screen door and stepped inside, dropping my purse onto the nearby table. "Kate, Jack. Hey Hurley." When no one replied, I pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down, staring at Hurley. He had a hand held out in front of his face, his eyes fixed on it.

"What the hell are you doing, Tubby?"Miles asked, pulling out another chair to sit down.

"Checking to see if I'm disappearing."

"What?" I glanced over at Miles, wondering if Hurley could be thinking what I thought he was thinking. Why did I have the feeling he was having a _Back to the Future_ moment?

"_Back to the Future_, man. We came back in time to the island and changed stuff. So if little Ben dies, he'll never grow up to be big Ben, who's the one who made us come back here in the first place. Which means we can't be here and therefore, dude, we don't exist."Oh, he was thinking it. Biting my lip, I struggled to hold back the laughter that wanted to escape.

"You're an idiot,"Miles said and for once today, I had to agree with him.

"Am I?"

Dropping my head to the table, I struggled to hold back my laughter. "Yeah, it doesn't work like that. You can't change anything. You're maniac Iraqi buddy shot Linus, that's what always happened."I looked up quickly at him, shooting him a quick glare. That comment was uncalled for."It's just we never experienced how it all turns out."

"This is really confusing."

"Yeah, well, get used to it. But the good news is, Linus didn't die, so that means the kid can't either. He'll be fine."

I wasn't sure if I believed that whole theory, though it did make sense. We couldn't change anything, everything was already set, and there was no deviation from the timeline."He didn't look like he was going to be fine,"Kate said, speaking for the first time since I came in the room."What if you're wrong?"

"Well, if I'm wrong then we all stop existing and none of it matters anyway then, does it?"

The front door banged open and James burst into the room."Doc, I need you to come with me."

"Come with you where?"

"Juliet says the kid's losing blood and we ain't go none to put back in him"I cringed at the awful grammar of that sentence, but now wasn't the time to correct him."So we need you to show us where he sprung a leak."

Turning to Jack, I waited for him to jump up and run towards the med center, but he didn't move. Jack sat there, apparently debating his options. Everyone in the room was staring at him, including Hurley who had taken a moment to look away from his hand."No."

"What?"

"No, I'm not coming with you."My jaw dropped and I looked at him with complete shock. Jack Shephard refused to help someone, this wasn't Jack. This wasn't the Jack we had lived with for nearly three months, the one who said we had to cut off Boone's leg in order to save him. Jack jumped at the chance to save someone, I'd noticed from practically the moment I met him.

"If you don't come with me, Jack, that kid's gonna die."

"Then he dies."

"Jack! You have to help him," I exclaimed, watching James head out the door. It slammed behind him and I jumped in my chair.

He shook his head, "no, I don't." He spoke so calmly, so sure of himself. It sounded nothing like the Jack we knew.

The room was quiet and I looked around in the silence. Jack and Kate were staring into space, Hurley was staring at his hand, and Miles was staring at me. I almost wished school was in session, that way I'd have something to distract me from this boring atmosphere. But no, I had nothing to do, no reason to leave.

I watchedKate move to the window and Jack to the kitchen. Everyone was antsy and I knew I couldn't stay here much longer. There had to be something I could do somewhere."I need to go," I said softly to Miles.

"Why?"

"I just do, okay?" I snapped, standing up and grabbing my purse off the table. "I'll see you later." Leaning down, I kissed his forehead and waved to Hurley. "Bye."

Opening the door, I headed out, leaving the tense atmosphere behind me. Jack had changed. Any other time on this island, he would have jumped at the chance to save someone. He'd tried to save everyone from Boone to James. It rarely worked, and maybe he finally figured that out.

Instead of worrying about what was going to happen, I headed to my classroom. Since we had today off from classes, I was going to need to play catch-up tomorrow and the next day. After unlocking the door, I flipped on the lights and dropped my purse on my desk. It was slightly cool in the room, so I went around opening windows and doors, trying to let the warm island air in. I took a deep breath, smelling the flowers and fresh cut grass. It would wreck havoc with my allergies, but it smelled beautiful.

I stared out into the classroom, smiling as I pictured my students working at their desks. It was quiet for a change and I was planning on enjoying it for as long as possible. Sitting down in my chair, I pulled my lesson plan book out and began lookingover my plans. Students were going to do an art project the next day, using hieroglyphics to write their names. I sat for a while and practiced writing mine so I would have something to show them as an example.

A breeze blew in through the open window, rustling the wind chimes I had hung from the outside door of my classroom slammed and I jumped in shock. I looked up quickly and met Jack's eyes. "You scared me," I said, placing a hand over my chest**, **feeling my pounding heart. "What are you doing here? This room isn't on your rounds; Roger cleans it. And besides, I thought Miles had you under house arrest?"

Jack walked to the front of my room and began erasing the board. "He did, but Sawyer let us out. We do have jobs to do.I figured Roger might need a break with all that's going on around here." He stopped erasing and turned back to me. "So this is your classroom?"

"Yes. This is my second year here." I looked down at my hieroglyphics, very aware of the fact that he was staring at me.

"You've all done well here it seems. You're a teacher, Juliet's happy being a mechanic, Sawyer's head of security…" he trailed off. "Looks like you didn't need us to save you."

I closed my eyes and sighed. "It would have been nice three years ago, but now we're settled. Everyone trusts us here and we're happy." I stood up and began filing papers into my briefcase. "I like being a teacher; I like living in a community like this; I like not having to forage for food. Most of all I like being involved. I'm happy. I don't want to lose this, Jack."

Jack looked speechless, for the first time since I'd met him. "So you and Miles huh?" He asked after a long pause.

"Bye Jack." I zipped the brief case and slung the strap over my shoulders. "Oh, hi Roger." The door opened in front of me and I forced a smile. "There are cookies in the cupboard left over from snack today. Help yourself." I waved back at Jack and walked out the door, not wanting to be in the middle of the argument I knew was coming. Roger was drunk again; I could smell the alcohol, and I almost felt sorry for Jack.

I made my way back to my house, ignoring the calls of hello from my colleagues. The playground was filled with children playing and calling loudly. As I walked by, I couldn't hold back a grin. They were so happy, so easily amused. Would I ever have children?

I stopped on the sidewalk, stunned by my train of thought. What a silly thing to think of, especially now that we were in such a mess. I was only twenty-two, not nearly old enough to start thinking of children. And besides, who would I have children with right now? Miles? He wasn't mature enough at the moment.

"Hey, watch where you're going." I looked up as someone walked into me, sending me tripping over my own feet.

"Miles! I was just standing here." I slapped at his shoulder before taking a step away towards my house.

"Before you storm off, do you mind if I come over tonight? I need to run another errand for Horace, but it shouldn't take long."

I crossed my arms over my chest and silently debated. The last time he was supposed to meet me, he stood me up. "You were supposed to come over last night, but you stood me up. What's the guarantee you'll show up tonight?"

"I promise," he said, stepping forward. His hand came up, caressing my cheek as he leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. "I'll be there."

"Fine," I said with a sigh. "I'll see you when you get off work. Just don't be too late, okay?"

"Got it." He kissed me one last time before heading off towards the motor pool.

I watched him go, my arms still crossed. The sun was beginning to set over the horizon, and I couldn't believe how fast the day had gone. After fixing a quick dinner, I sat on the porch and watch the uneventful times in Dharmaville.

"Juliet!" I called, jumping off the porch and jogging up her steps. "What's going on with Ben? Jack didn't help, did he?"

She glanced behind me and shook her head. "No, Jack didn't help. Come inside." I followed her into the house, closing the door behind me. I sat on the couch, crossing my legs and waiting for her to tell me what she apparently needed to say. "Ben's gone."

"What do you mean, gone? Did he…?" I was scared of the thought, but he was seriously injured. He could have… died.

"No," she said, shaking her head quickly. "Kate took him to the Hostiles. There was nothing we could do for him."

"So he's… with them. Are we going to get him back? Does anyone know? Why would you do such a thing?" I leaned forward, uncrossing my legs and resting my elbows on my knees.

She sighed, "What else were we going to do? He would have died if we didn't help him. I don't know if he'll come back."

"How did Kate know where to go?"

"James helped her."

I froze. "Getting him to help her… was that the smartest idea?"

"Probably not," she said with a small, sad laugh. "He still loves her."

This was not the conversation I expected to have with her. I figured we'd talk about Ben or Jack, but not James and Kate. I didn't want to talk about Kate; it was bad enough I had to live with her. "I don't know," I whispered.

"I just can't help thinking, what if he's with me just because it's convenient?"

"I though the same thing about Miles," I said softly, leaning back into the couch. "I still can't believe he's with me, not when there are so many other women, closer to his age here." I forced a smile and shrugged. "James loves you. He wouldn't stay with you if he didn't."

She smiled again before falling silent. I was still so insecure about my relationship with Miles. When would I be able to know that he loved me and know why he was with me? Would I ever know? "I need to go," I said after a few minutes. "Miles is supposed to come by tonight and talk."

"Okay. Bye."

I made my way to the door, pulling it open and nearly gasping in surprise. "Jack."I glanced back at Juliet, seeing her nod. "Come on in. I'll talk to you later, Juliet. Bye, Jack."

Shutting the door behind me, I jogged down the steps and up to my door. It was late, nearly nine thirty, and I needed to get to bed. Apparently, Miles wasn't going to be stopping by tonight either. I'd find him in the morning if need be.

I woke from a sound sleep to the phone ringing by my ear. Thankful Kate didn't have an extension in her room, otherwise who knew if she would pick up the line. Hell, I didn't even know if she was home yet.I picked up the receiver and sighed. "Hello," I answered sleepily.

"Kay, it's Miles." I smiled when I heard his voice, but frowned when I caught sight of the time.

"Miles, it's nearly three in the morning…" I honestly didn't think he'd bother me at this time of night.

I heard him chuckle over the phone. "I know, but I need to see you. I'll be at your house in ten minutes; let me in okay?"

"What is so important that you can't wait until morning?" I asked irritated. Just because he didn't get to stop by at a decent hour, didn't mean he got to come by when he was free.

"We might have a problem. Please just open the door when I get there?"

"We might have a problem? Or you might have a problem?" I sighed again and wiped sleep from my eyes.** "**Fine. See you." I hung up the phone and groaned, covering my eyes with my arm. Grudgingly, I threw the blankets off my legs and got out of bed. I put on my bathrobe and slid my feet into my slippers before heading into the living room. A quick listen at Kate's door told me she hadn't heard the phone ring, she was snoring lightly. Thank God for small favors.

I passed the time by boiling some water and fixing hot tea. Chamomile would help me go back to sleep and not fill me with a lot of caffeine. If this wasn't something life or death, Miles would be in for it. Waking me up at three in the morning; he knew I needed to sleep.

I sat in my favorite chair with the cup of tea and waited for Miles to arrive. Finally, about ten minutes later, I heard a soft knock on the door. "Hey Kay," Miles said when I opened the door. He stepped forward and softly kissed my cheek.

Covering my mouth with my hand, I attempted (unsuccessfully) to stifle a yawn. "Miles, it's three in the morning. What are you doing here?"

"We're going to have a problem. Can we come in?" He attempted to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"We?" I stepped aside and he entered, revealing a man behind him. "Oh goodness," I said once I recognized who was there.

"Hello, Kalie," said Daniel Faraday, back from Ann Arbor. I felt my jaw drop and…

Without opening my eyes, I knew I was on something soft. What did I last remember? Miles showed up with… I sat up quickly, looking around the room. I was lying on the couch withMiles kneeling next to me and Dan across the room, staring out the window in the darkness. "Are you okay? I caught you before your head hit the ground but…"

"Yeah, I'm okay." I rubbed my forehead, shocked that I fainted. "What are you doing back here Daniel?"

I watched him glance over at Miles then at me. He pulled something from his back pocket and handed it to me. I looked down at the newspaper, seeing Kate, Hurley and Jack's faces staring up at me. "What about them?"

"Do you know how they got here? I need to talk to Jack." I looked up at Miles, slightly annoyed at the scientist.

"Well, I don't think now is a good time. He won't take too kindly to being woken up this early," I said, glaring at Miles. "If you want to stay here for a while, be my guest, but I really need to go back to bed. Some of us need our beauty sleep."

Miles shook his head and rolled his eyes. I went to the kitchen to rinse out my cup and place it in the sink. "Are you angry?"

"No," I said with a sigh. "I just wish things would go back to normal. I've barely seen you in the past few days." Turning, I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up into his eyes. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. Don't worry, things will go back soon."

"Promise?"

He placed a quick kiss on my forehead before smiling down at me. "Promise." Leaning down, he kissed my lips gently and I closed my eyes, sighing happily. His hands slid down my back, wrapping around my bum. "Sleep well."

"I wish you could stay."

"Yeah, me too. But I need to take Dan to the Orchid and then to see Jack. I'll stop by tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He kissed me one last time before hugging me tightly.

I pulled away and clicked out the light."Good-night boys," I said walking down the hallway. "Lock the door on your way out, please."

Shutting my bedroom door behind me, I sat on the edge of my bed, my head resting in my hands. First Jack, Kate and Hurley now Dan was back. What was going on?

"Everything's over," I said softly, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. "Everything we have is gone."

Tears welled in my eyes and I sobbed softly. This was it, the end of our happiness. Everything we had, everything we could have had, was going to be gone.

* * *

**AN: Thanks to everyone who read and the 4 people who reviewed the previous chapter. I'm really excited for the end of Season 5 and then Season 6. Although, I don't know where the Flash Sideways are going to fit in. I've got it started though, that's a start at least. And I wrote my first Boone/Kalie scene in almost a year. I'm excited!**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you thought. If you're a Boone fan, don't worry... he shows up in the FSW! And Miles fans, don't worry, he's definitely there, too!**


	13. To Stay or Not to Stay

**Chapter 13: To Stay or Not to Stay, Day 4**

I opened my door that morning to a note stuck up with tape. _Meeting at our house, 10:30 this morning. Be there! J & J_ Shaking my head, I crumpled the note and tossed it onto the side table. I'd be there, but I wouldn't like it.

Today was the final day of school before a two week long vacation. Since we did year round schooling, we would then take extended vacations. We had three weeks of classes then two weeks of vacation, and then the process would repeat. It had its upsides, and having two weeks to do what I wanted was definitely one of them.

I headed into the school and slowly began getting the classroom ready for the students. They would begin shuffling in at any moment and I needed to be ready for them. On each desk I placed a worksheet and paper with the Egyptian hieroglyphics. It wouldn't be a very educational day, but we would review what they'd learned recently.

My mind wasn't really into it and I could barely keep my attention focused. I asked questions over and over, forgetting that students answered. I let the kids have extra recess time, not wanting to deal with their lessons. I reminded myself that this was the last day before a vacation and they wouldn't remember what I taught today, but it still bothered me that we were wasting time.

Finally, the bell rang and the students filed out. I quickly filed my papers in the briefcase and headed out, locking the door behind me. Without even stopping at my house to change out of my uniform, I headed straight for James and Juliet's house. There were only a few blocks from the school, and I made it there in record time.

I jogged up the steps and knocked loudly before stepping back and waiting. James pulled the door open just a minute later. "Hey, Tinkerbelle," he said, stepping aside so I could enter.

"Hey." I brushed by him and entered the living room. Kate, Jack, Hurley and Jin were already there, seated in chairs and on the couch. "Am I the last one?"

No one answered and I shrugged, dropping my briefcase to the ground as I sat on the arm of Juliet's chair."All right people, party's over,"James said, turning a chair around and sitting down."I know ya'll just showed up, but the rest of us have been here for the past three years. This is our home; the last thing I want to do is leave. But we ain't got no choice."

I nodded, struggling to keep my eyes on James. I didn't want to look at Kate or Jack. It wasn't their fault necessarily, but all this happened after they arrived. It was only natural to blame them.

"Well, that dude in the closet, I thought he worked for you? Can't you convince him it was all, like, a misunderstanding?"

"I punched the man in the damn face, Hugo. What am I supposed to say, my fist slipped?"

Just one moment, now I was confused. "Wait, what man in the closet?" I asked softly, looking down at Juliet. "You have someone in the closet?"

"Phil found the videotape of Kate and James bringing Ben to the Others. He came here last night, James punched him and we tied him up in the closet," Juliet answered, barely glancing at me. I could definitely picture James punching Phil. I only wished I had been here to see him tied up in the closet.

"How much time do we have before someone realizes he's gone?"

"Not enough."

"So where do we go?"Juliet asked, and I looked around the room. Where could we go that we'd all be able to survive?

James sighed loudly,"we've got two options. We can either commandeer the sub, get the hell off this island before anyone knows we're gone, or we can head back in the jungle, start from square one."

I didn't want to go back to the jungle. I didn't want to live on the beach again, foraging for food and fighting with the wild boar. Why couldn't this happiness last longer than three years? I liked it here, as did Juliet, Jin, James and Miles. Couldn't we just stay here? No, not with Phil knowing about the videotape.

"I'm not getting on that sub if there's a chance my wife is still on this island," Jin said, speaking for the first time since I walked in the door.

"Yeah, me neither. After all we did to get back here? And now we're just gonna run off again? It'd be kind of wishy-washy."

"That's two votes for square one. Anyone else wanna…"He trailed off as a knock sounded on the front door.

We all stared at the door, wondering if it could be more security personnel, or… I couldn't even imagine who else it could be. "Hold your horses, be right there," James said, standing up and walking around the corner to pick up his gun. My hand slid down to my briefcase and I pulled it to my lap, ready to grab my pistol if necessary.

Juliet stood and took a few steps forward as James pulled open the door. I froze, staring at the open door."Hey, James,"a familiar voice said from the other side of the door.

"Welcome to the meeting, Twitchy. Good to see you again. Pound cake's in the kitchen; help yourself to the punch."

Daniel walked into the room and Miles followed behind. A grin spread across my face and I moved off the arm of the chair and stood next to him, letting his arms wrap around me.I was safe and happy, at least for the next few minutes. Who knew what would happen once James told us his plan."Jack, I'm sorry I was rude before, but what I came to do is of critical importance to everyone in this room. Does anyone know where I can find the Hostiles?"

I looked up at Miles, confused. He shook his head, kissing my forehead did Daniel need to find them?"Why do you need to know that, Daniel?"

"Because one of them is my mother,"he said with a sigh."And she is the only person on this island who can get us back to where we belong."

"What?" I asked, looking at Daniel in surprise.

"Your mother, is an Other?"

"You met her, actually, when the island was skipping, back in 1954. They were calling her Ellie?"

I glanced up at Miles. I remembered 1954. We were trapped in a tent with the Others and Miles asked me out before the sky lit up and we moved again."You guys were in 1954? Like… Fonzi times?"Hurley asked and I bit my lip, trying tohold back my laughter. Leave it to Hurley to lighten the mood.

"You still haven't told us why you need to find her."

"I just need to talk to her."

They argued, James and Daniel, about what they should do, and Jack chimed in with his two-cents."We belonged just fine till you came back, Doc."

"You know where the Hostiles are,"Jack said, turning towards Kate."You and Sawyer took Ben out to them. Can you get us back out there?"

"Whoa, hold on a second. Don't say a word, Kate."

"She can say what she has to say…"

I leaned into Miles' chest, watching the argument before us. James and Jack always argued, going all the way back to when we first crashed here. Apparently travelling through time couldn't change that."Come with us, Freckles."

I was stunned;he didn't just say that. I glanced over at Juliet, not the least bit surprised to see the look on her face."The code for the fence is 1-4-1-7-4-7. You should take Daniel. It's over for us here anyway."

Miles squeezed me tightly and rested his chin on my shoulder. That's it, it's over. Everything here was gone."Okay. Let's go," Kate said, nodding to Jack.

"Great. Great, thank you. Miles, can you drive us?"

I pulled away, looking up at him. I couldn't help but wonder if he was going to leave us, leave me. His hand pulled away from my waist and he dug in his pockets, pulling out the keys to his jeep and tossing them at Daniel.

The three headed for the door and Miles wrapped his arm back around me."When you realize you made a huge mistake, we'll be at the beach, right where we started. All right, the rest of us, pack anything you can carry and meet back here in twenty minutes."

"Come on," Miles said, slipping his hand into mine. "I'll walk you back to your house."

I squeezed tightly, letting him lead me out of the house and down the sidewalk to mine. We stopped on my porch and he put his hands on my face. "I'll come get you in a few minutes, all right? Pack some clothes, a few pictures and we'll head out. Love you." Leaning in, he kissed me softly.

"Love you, too." I pulled away and headed into the house, letting him jog down the steps and over to his own house.

Heading back to my bedroom, I pulled a few pairs of jeans and blouses from the closet and tossed them onto the bed. After adding socks, underwear, bras and an extra pair of shoes, I retrieved a duffle bag from under the bed and tossed everything inside. I added shampoo and soap from the bathroom, along with my toothbrush and toothpaste. I might as well try to be clean this time around.

Gunshots sounded through the near silence of the town and I raced to the door, pulling it open and stepping out onto the porch. I wasn't alone; several people were looking towards the motor pool. A few security personnel were jogging down the sidewalks.

I turned and walked back into the house, slamming the door behind me. This was it, the end. All hell was going to break loose and this time, it actually was Jack and Kate's fault. Although it was Juliet's idea to take Ben to the Others, it was Sayid's fault Ben was shot. If they had never come back, we wouldn't be in this situation.

I brought the duffle bag to the living room and sat down on the couch, waiting for Miles. He should be here any minute and then we'd head off to the beach, starting over again. The damn beach.

The security alarm sounded and I rolled my eyes, sighing loudly. All hell indeed. Nothing was going to be the same after this.

Wait. Why did I need to leave? No one knew I was involved with James and Juliet. I could stay here… Miles could stay with me… and we wouldn't have to start over. There was no reason I couldn't keep my job and house. I could lie my way out of any problems, couldn't I?

That's it. I'd stay here and I'd convince Miles to stay with me. We could keep living here, get married and start a family. And we could bring supplies to James and Juliet, maybe even getting them off the island. It was an outrageous plan, but it just might work.

I paced the floor, walking around my living room in circles. Was I making the right choice? Should I go with James, Juliet and the rest of them back to the beach? I didn't want to leave here; I was happy. I loved my life in the Dharma Initiative. I loved having friends close. I had finally gotten over being stranded on this island and having lost Boone. Could I go back to the beach and live there again?

A knock at the door disrupted my train of thought. Walking over to it, I turned the handle and pulled it open. "Miles…"

"Kay, come on; are you coming or not?" He looked over at me expectantly, waiting for me to follow.

Slowly, I shook my head and stepped back into the house. "I'm not going," I said softly.

"You're what? No, see this is our only option. You're not going to try to play hero and rescue them, are you?" Miles leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest. He was angry, and I couldn't blame him one bit.

"Rescue? Rescue who?" Now I was confused. Who was I supposed to not be rescuing?

Miles glanced behind him quickly and stepped into the house, shutting the door behind him. "Radzinsky captured LaFleur and Juliet. He caught them hiding Phil in the closet, where he probably needed to be," he added under his breath.

"What are they…? Where are they?"

"No." Miles reached out and took my hands in his. "You are going to come with me and we're heading to the beach. Tubby went to get food and we're meeting Jin in five minutes. Let's go."

"No," I said softly, a bit more forcefully this time. "I'm not going. I won't try to rescue them, but I can't go. I can't move around anymore. I like it here. They don't know we're involved with Jack and Kate. I can…" I trailed off, shrugging my shoulders. "Stay with me," I pleaded. 'We can stay here and be happy. Please?' I begged, holding his hand tightly.

He shook his head slowly. "I can drag you out of here."

"No," I said with a smile, "you could try, but it won't work."

"Be careful," he said softly, squeezing my hands quickly before letting go. "If you change your mind, we'll be at the beach."

"Bye." I said, watching him open the door and turn back to me. Closing the gap, he reached up and caressed my cheek, softly pressing his lips to mine. I shut my eyes and let my lips part, his tongue tracing their outline. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him as close as I could. "Bye, Kalie," he whispered.

He kissed me one last time, a quick peck, before walking out the door and pulling it closed behind him. I bit my lip and stared at the closed door. Was I making the right decision?

What could I gain from going to the beach? I would be with Miles, Jin and Hurley, that was probably the only benefit of going with them. If I stayed here, I would at least be able to keep my job and house. I wouldn't have to forage for food and water.

I collapsed on the couch and dropped my head to my hands. James and Juliet were captured; Jack and Kate were running around the jungle with Faraday trying to find his mother; Miles, Jin and Hurley were headed for the beach and I was here. How did everything go downhill so fast? Just a few days ago we were all happy and safe.

Trying to remain calm, I pulled my journal out of my purse along with a pen and sat down to write. It was the only thing I knew of that could keep my mind occupied for longer than ten seconds, and I needed not to think about them. I needed to not think about how they could get caught, how the Dharma Initiative could hurt my friends.

"_Attention: all nonessential personnel should report to the pier immediately for evacuation. This includes teachers, workmen, and all families. Again: all nonessential personnel should report to the pier immediately for evacuation."_

I stood quickly and looked out my window to see people walking quickly through town. Why were we being evacuated? I raced back to my bedroom and pulled Boone's tee-shirt from the back of the closet. I arrived in Dharmaville wearing it; it was only fitting I should leave with it I hadn't thought of it before was beyond I reached the door, I turned and scanned over the house. Would I be coming back?

Pulling open the door, I paused, reaching over to the end table and pulling a picture from the frame. I smiled down, letting the memory cross my mind. It was the 4th of July picnic and Juliet had snapped a picture of Miles and me cuddling on a blanket. A random moment, sure, but he could be really sweet when he wasn't being an ass.

I grabbed my purse and journal off the end table, sticking the picture safely into the once more, I stepped out, pulled the door shut and followed the crowd, smiling politely at a few of my colleagues. We were herded into vans and driven down the road to the pier. Once there, they set us in lines, women with children in one, everyone else in the other.

We walked in single-file line and soon it was my turn to step up. I glanced around me, shocked to find them here, of all places. James looked like hell; blood trailing down his cheek, his right eye swollen. Juliet had a cracked lip and a red mark on her cheek. Who hurt her?

"Ms. Carlyle, get on the sub." I looked up at Dr. Chang, tearing my eyes away from Sawyer and Juliet. "Get on the sub."

"I… I don't know where Miles is…" I said, trailing off, scanning the crowd and makingup some excuse for my delay. I knew exactly where he was, on his way to the beach with Hurley and Jin.

Dr. Chang gently placed his hand on my back and pushed me towards the pier. "He's fine, and you know that. Now get on the sub before anyone notices that you're still here."

I looked back at him, scanning the crowd once more before walking down the pier. I let Phil help me step up onto the ladder that descended into the sub. "Have a safe trip," he said with a smile.

Meeting James' eyes for a quick second, I shook my head and stepped down the ladder. I guess being sent to the mainland wouldn't be that bad. How did Dr. Chang know Miles was okay? And how did he know that I knew Miles was okay? I shook my head and sighed, climbing down the ladder into the sub.

"Right this way, Ms. Carlyle," one of the securities personnel said, taking my arm and leading me towards the back. "Someone will be back soon with your sedative."

Forcing a smile, I stood off to one side, waiting patiently for my sedative. I was leaving, even though I didn't want to. _Damnit Kalie, you should have just gone with Miles._

* * *

**AN: Wow. There's only one more chapter left of season 5 and then... on to the final season. Thanks to: pani_zagloba, hodhod2011danger, Luli_Cullen, tntlostfan, JacDanvers, PaperBooksInk, and the_werewolf_gal for reviewing the previous chapter. You're all wonderful!**

**Please leave a review and let me know what you thought!**


	14. The Incident

**Chapter 14: The Incident, Day 4**

It was quiet on the sub, only a few whispered voices and the clanking of footsteps on the metal walkways. I had never been on here before, and at times I wondered if I should have just gone three years and left the island. It would have saved a whole lot of trouble, but probably caused a lot more.

"Here's your sedative," Bryan said, one of the sub personnel. Forcing a smile, I took the small cup with the pills and the cup of juice. "We're shoving off now."

I stared down at it, trying to gather the courage to take it. It would make the trip much easier, or so I had been told. It'd be much better to sleep through the long trip than stay awake staring at the bunk above me.

"Tinkerbelle," I heard whispered from behind me. I jumped in surprise, nearly dropping my pills.

"What the bloody hell…?" I turned, looking up in surprise. "What are you doing here? Weren't you handcuffed to the seats?"

"Come on; we're getting out of here."

"Jack's got a bomb," Kate added and I was suddenly hit with a wave of dislike for her. What did I care if Jack had a bomb? I was leaving the island… Miles. He was still there, along with Jin and Hurley. I couldn't leave Miles there, not when I could do something about it.

Glancing down at my cup once more, I sighed and stood up. "Let's go." James handed me a gun and I followed them out of the sleeping quarters.

The captain surfaced the sub and we were handed an inflatable raft. I was surprised they let us leave so willingly, but I assumed James, Juliet and Kate had taken care of that. They probably destroyed all communications or something.

I followed James out and into the raft, picking up a paddle. James and I sat up front while Kate and Juliet sat behind us. We paddled towards the massive piece of land. I hadn't realized before how large the island actually was."By the looks of the sun, I'd say that's the North Shore over there."

"Sun's over there, that's got to be the West Coast," James and Kate argued and I rolled my eyes, glancing over my shoulder at Juliet. She was looking longingly back at the sub and when I caught her eye, she smiled sadly. Just as predicted, Kate was ruining things.

"Really? What, you got a compass?"

"No, do you?"

We paddle and by the time we reached the shore, my arms ached. I helped them drag the raft onto the sand before allowing myself a moment to breathe. I had freedom from this island for just a few minutes, but now I was back. This had to be hell."I got no idea where the hell we are,"James said, shrugging his shoulder.

I looked towards the trees and grinned as a dog barked, running out towards us. "Vincent!" It couldn't be him."How you doing, boy? Haven't seen you since the flaming arrows three years ago."

I knelt down in the sand, rubbing the top of his head. "Hey, Vincent."

"How'd he survive alone out here?"

"Oh hell no. Bernard!" We glanced at each other, giggling nervously. "They found us." Bernard came running onto the sand and I couldn't believe my eyes. Rose and Bernard. How many times over the past few years had I wondered about them, where they ended up and if they were alive? Here they are, looking almost exactly like we left them, with the addition of a beard on Bernard.

They turned and headed into the trees. "Come on," Rose called and after a quick glance at each other, we followed.

"You're telling me you've just been living out here in the jungle for the past three years, by yourselves?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, I'm sorry ya'll got left behind. Didn't you hear me shout out 'meet at the creek'?"

I sat on a nearby log and looked over their house. It was nice; I had to give them that. They had food, a decent house and Vincent seemed happy."You mean with the flaming arrows raining down on us, killing everyone we knew? Oh sure, we heard you."

"Well we spent all sorts of time looking for ya. I had Jin out searching the island grid by grid."

"We know."Rose wasn't much for conversation these days, was she?

"You know?"

"Oh, sure. You guys all joined up with the Dharma Initiative."

"Well damn, I could have brought both ya'll in. Why didn't you find a way to tell us you were out here?"

Rose and Bernard glanced at each other before looking back at us. "Because we're retired," Bernard said and it was silent for a moment in the clearing.

"Rose, is there a place I can use the bathroom?" I didn't need to, but I didn't want to listen to the conversation any longer. Sometime in the next few minutes, they were going to have to tell Rose and Bernard about the bomb, and I didn't want to be around when they did.

"Sure, honey." She led me to a small grove of trees where they had built a small outhouse.

"It's nice to see you, Rose," I said with a smile.

"It's nice to see you, too." I watched her head back the way we came before sitting down beside the building.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and rested my head back against the wood. Just an hour ago I was on the sub, getting ready to leave the island. And now, I was back here, trying to stop Jack from detonating a hydrogen bomb. Why couldn't my life be simple?

I opened my eyes, hearing my name called through the trees. "Kalie? Oh, there you are. We're leaving now."

"Okay," I said, standing up and brushing off the back of my jeans. "I'm ready." I wasn't, but I had to be.

Our trek through the jungle was nearly silent and the only sounds were our shoes crunching leaves or small twigs. I wasn't sure how James knew where we needed to go, but he seemed to and I was content to follow him at the moment.

"Do you have a plan or are we just going to wing this?" I asked when we had stopped for a quick rest.

"I've got a plan," he replied, not even taking a moment to glance my way.

"Well at least someone does," I muttered under my breath.

And then we were walking again. The last time we walked through the jungle was back during the time flashes three years ago. It was almost nostalgic, until I remembered why we were walking this time.

"They'll have to come down this road in order to get to the Swan, so let's just wait," James said, sitting down in the middle of the road. Juliet sat next to him and Kate off to the side. I found a small log on the roadside and collapsed onto it, not wanting to be near them. Why had I left the sub again? Oh yeah, to save Miles. Where was he? Had he and Hurley headed to the beach already? Were they already setting up camp?

The sound of an engine hit my ears maybe ten minutes later and we all jumped to our feet, standing in a line in the middle of the road. If it wasn't them, we were going to be in serious trouble.

Slowly, the van stopped and I could make out the passengers in the front, Hurley and Miles. Despite the situation, I smiled when he met my gun felt heavy at my side and I wanted to get rid of it, but with what they planned to do, I might need it. Jack slid out of the van as Kate walked forward. "What's going on, Kate?"

"Doc, we gotta talk."

"You want to talk, let's get in the van…"

"I ain't getting in the van," James said as he walked forward. "Give me five minutes; let me say what I got to say and then you can do whatever the hell you want to."

"Five minutes," Jack said and he walked around the van. James handed his rifle off to Juliet and followed.

I watched them walk off and then peered into the van. Hurley was driving and Miles was in the passenger seat, Jin was in the back where Jack had been. I wanted to talk to them, but was frozen on my spot. I wasn't supposed to be here. I was supposed to be either still in my house or on my way to the mainland.

Miles climbed out of the van and walked a few steps towards me. I handed my gun to Kate and ran to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as his slid around my waist. "Hey Kay," he whispered, resting his head on mine. "I thought you were staying in Dharmaville?"

"I was, until they decided to evacuate the island. I ended up on the sub and when those three planned the Great Sub Escape, I went along for the ride." I rested my head against his chest, happy and content for the moment. I was with him, exactly where I wanted to be. I needed to stop being so worried. Miles loved me and I loved him. We should be sticking together.

"I'm sorry I didn't go with you," I whispered into his chest, tears welled in my eyes. "I should have gone to the beach and stayed with you."

His lips brushed against the top of my head and I felt him smile in my hair. "Yeah, you should have."

"Dude?" I heard Hurley call from inside the van. "Sayid's not doing so well."

My head snapped up and I met Miles' eyes. "Sayid?"

He nodded and we pulled apart. I heard the van door shut and we walked around to the back of the van. Hurley pulled open the door and I gasped. He was bloody, matted with sweat and his eyes were closed, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The memory of him coming back after his escapade with the French woman flashed in my memory. He wasn't nearly as bloody that time, not this close to dying, but something about his look was the same.

We pulled him gently from the van and rested him on the ground, his back against the bumper. I knelt beside him, holding his hand. I expected Miles to kneel with me, but he began pacing, mumbling back and forth. "What did you do?" I asked him softly, tears overflowing in my eyes.

"Oh Kalie," he whispered with a shake of his head.

"Don't worry dude. Everything will be fine when Jack changes the past… or the future. One of those." Hurley knelt with us and gave Sayid a drink from a canteen.

"I don't think your buddy's going to make it," Miles said from behind me and I had to smile at Jin's response of "he'll make it."

He had to. Yes it was selfish, but I couldn't lose him. We had lost too many people on this island and I couldn't lose any more. Boone, Libby, Ana Lucia, Michael, Charlotte and Daniel to name a few, not to mention everyone else. We were the only survivors left from our plane crash, excluding Rose, Bernard and Walt, wherever he might be.

"Dude, what happened to your face?" I glanced up to see with whom Hurley had spoken. Jack had appeared by the van and both hisface and Dharma uniform were bloody.

"Nothing," he replied, kneeling on the other side of Sayid. 'We were just on the ridge. Something happened at the Swan site."

"It's all set to go. Remember; be careful it's rigged to explode on impact. Get it as close as you can." I closed my eyes and shook my head, wishing I could wake up and all this would be a really bad dream. I would open my eyes and I would be in bed with Miles' arms wrapped around me. This is all just a bad dream.

"Sayid, this is going to work. It'll save you." I looked over at Jack, wondering if I should believe him this time. He tried to save Boone, but he couldn't. What made him think this would work?

Sayid closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "Nothing can save me." I bit my lip and shut my eyes, praying as fast as I could.

Jack stood up, leaving us alone."You can't die on me," I said, forcing a smile.

My brother winced and I looked up as Jack walked away through the trees. Maybe it would work and the plane would land in LA. I could go on with my life, not falling in love with Boone or Miles, not finding my brother. I would never know it was him. That wouldn't be so bad. I wouldn't remember anything about the past three years.

That had its positive sides: no loss, no pain, no suffering. I wouldn't have had my heart broken, wouldn't have lost the love of my life. But on the downside, I wouldn't have my friends or my brother. I wouldn't have had two years with the second greatest person to happen to me on this island. I would go back to being innocent.

Jin ripped apart a tee shirt and helped me change the bloodstained shirt that was wrapped around Sayid's wound. Miles babbled from the front of the van, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. After patting my hand, Jin stood up, leaving me alone with my dying brother.

I stayed with him, wiping his forehead with a damp cloth and giving him small sips of water from the canteen. His eyes were closed and I couldn't imagine the amount of pain he must be in. The dressings were bleeding through again, but we had nothing else to use to change them.

My mind was so scattered, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't make coherent thoughts or form complete sentences. It took all I had to sit here and not cry. Not long after,someone grabbed my upper arm and pulled me gentlyto my feet. "Come on there, Tinkerbelle. We've got to get him back in the van." I looked up to find James, his face nearly as bloody as Jack's. They had talked all right, with their fists.

"What? Why?" I spun around, hoping someone would give me an answer. James, Miles and Jin picked up Sayid as gently as they could, lifting him in to the van.

James, bloodied and bruised, met my eyes. "We've got to save Doc."

"We can't move him," I protested to deaf ears. No one responded and I shook my head, following our group into the van. They already moved him, so I joined the crowd, crouched in the back of the van.

Kate handed me back my gun and we piled inside. I sat in the back, still holding Sayid's hand, hoping everything would be all right and that we all would end up safe. "You can use that?" He asked, seeing me stick the barrel of the gun in the back of my pants.

With half a smile, I nodded. "I'm a teacher in the Dharma Initiative, we run routine Hostile drills. Gun safety was top in training."

"I see," he said, shutting his eyes, sweat dripping down his forehead.

I stayed in the back, whispering silent prayers that we would all be okay… that we would come out of this alive and healthy. As we barreled down the hill, Juliet slid the side door open and began firing. Kate and James joined in, but I couldn't bring myself to shoot just ricocheted off pilings and metallic rods and echoed through the van and work yard. If anyone got in the way, they were surely going to die.

When we stopped, I forced myself to drop Sayid's hand, pull my gun out and join the fight. I followed Miles out, moving quickly and firing as rapidly as I crouched behind barrels and rocks, vehicles and piles of metal. I think I hit someone, but there was no way I could be sure. It was pure chaos.

I could make out Phil, Brian and Kevin, members of James' security team. We had spent countless nights hanging out together with Miles, Jin, Juliet, and James, but now they were hell-bent on killing us. It was funny how these things worked out.

"All right, drop your guns!" I turned to the voice and was slightly shocked to see James holding Phil by the neck, a gun pointed to his head.

"You can come out now, Doc!" James yelled and we all walked forward, guns still raised. "Hurry up and do your business."

I glanced around at our rag-tag group. Dr. Chang had a gun pointed at Radzinsky while Juliet, Miles, Kate and I were aimed at various walked slowly to the hole, glancing around as if to check and make sure everyone was unarmed. "Turn that damn thing off!" James yelled and Dr. Chang pulled down a few levers, but the grinding didn't stop. "What's the matter?"

"It won't shut down. Something's pull the drill down."

"We hit the pocket!" Biting my lip, I closed my eyes for a moment. I remembered something about a pocket of energy from the hatch. That was the reason for the computer and the button. Maybe this was what caused the incident; maybe it was our fault that Desmond had to push the button and our plane crashed.

Jack pulled the bomb from his pack and stared down into the hole. I watched him; my gun held high and pointed at Brian, wishing things were different. "Hurry up Doc! What are you waiting for? Drop it." James yelled, the gun still pointed at Phil's head.

Our former leader hesitated, holding the bomb over the hole. He looked up at Kate, James looked at Juliet and I turned my gaze to Miles. "I love you," I whispered, hoping he could read my lips if not hear me. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I looked at him, wishing for more time, hoping that if Jack was right, I wouldn't remember anything.

He nodded and a small smile crossed his lips. I turned my gaze back to Jack and finally, he let go, dropping the bomb down the hole. Shutting my eyes, I waited for the bright light, the pain, something. Seconds passed and they felt like minutes or hours.

Nothing happened. I opened my eyes after a few more seconds and looked around wildly. Everyone was still standing in their place, the machine still rattling in the hole. I lowered my gun as Kate and Juliet did the same. "This doesn't look like LAX," James mumbled from near me.

Then, the banging grew louder, steam erupted from the machine and the parts began to whine. Tools started flying towards the hole, being sucked downward. I backed up just as the tower started collapsing in on itself.

I quickly ran towards Miles, taking his hand tightly in mine. I held as firm as I could, hoping that maybe, being this close to him would keep my mind calm. It wasn't working. Metal poles went flying through the air; the vans shifted and moved towards the hole; scaffolding tipped over and fell to the ground. I looked around, ducking as a pole flew right over my head. What was I supposed to do, I thought wildly. "Dad!" Miles yelled, dropping my hand and I spun, seeing Dr. Chang's hand get caught in between two pieces of scaffolding. Dad? I missed something.

I wanted to scream, cry, or do something other than just stand here. But there was nothing I could do. I had no where to go.

My gun flew out of my hands and I ducked, nearly being hit by a flying pipe. "Jack!" Kate screamed and I looked around frantically, trying to see what happened. Kate ran to Jack, Miles was helping his father and I didn't know where to go or what to do. Who should I help? What should I do? Was there anything I could do?

All around me, people were racing around. My heart pounded in my chest and all I could think about was the chaos that surrounded us. Radzinsky jumped in a jeep and tried to drive off, only to find it being pulled towards the hole. I crouched behind another jeep only to find it was being dragged away from me. I crawled to my feet just in time to see Phil get stabbed with a metal pole and fall to the ground. My heart stopped for a moment and I couldn't move. It was just a few days ago he was hitting on me again, but now he was dead.

Things were happening so fast, I could barely concentrate. I spun around, trying to focus on one thing, but couldn't. I felt so useless. People were screaming, yelling and everyone was rushing around. I looked up towards where the van was, hoping Sayid and Hurley were still okay. It would be stupid to think Sayid was still alive, but I couldn't help but hope.

Someone screamed from behind me and I turned to see who it was. Chains were wrapped around Juliet's waist and she was quickly being dragged towards the hole. I ran towards her, meeting up with Kate.

Kate grabbed the chain while I reached for Juliet's hands. She slipped from my grasp and she struggled to grab on to a rail then a pole. I couldn't reach her and her hands were slipping. "Hold on Juliet!" I screamed, terrified to lose her. She was my best friend, my sister, the only woman I had connected with since Claire.

"Sawyer!" I heard Kate yell and I crawled back to help Kate hold the chain.

James jumped from behind me and grabbed her arm just as her fingers slipped from the pole. "Where do you think you're going blondie?" He asked and I rocked back on my heels to gather my strength.

"Kate! Help me get those chains off!" Kate grabbed at the chains, not quite able to reach. I sat back, not able to help but unable to move. "I got you," I heard him say. "Don't you let go." The tower creaked, groaned and shifted above us.

"It's okay," Juliet said softly and I quickly crawled the few feet forward. James had her hand tight in his, but she was slipping. "I love you."

"Don't you leave me!"

"I love you so much," she said and her hand slipped from James'.

James reached out for her hand, clinging to nothing. "No!"

"Juliet!" I screamed as she tumbled down the tunnel. "No! We have to… we need to… we can…" I babbled, staring blankly down the hole. There was no way… she couldn't be gone. I was numb, unable to move or speak. Tears filled my eyes as I listened to James' screams.

"Sawyer, come on! It's going to collapse!" Kate struggled to pull him back, to get him off the groaning tower of metal. "Jack! Jack, help me get him off here."

Kate's hand slipped into mine and she pulled me back. I let her drag me to the side just as the tower completely collapsed and the metal frame slide down the tunnel. If she was still alive down there, if somehow she had survived the fall, she wasn't alive anymore. There was no way, no possible way.

I sat, collapsed on the ground next to James and Kate, my eyes fixed on the hole. Juliet was down there, dead. I had never in four years see James Ford cry, but he was crying next to me, heavy sobs wracking his chest. I held tightly to his hand, my own tears falling down my cheeks.

Miles appeared in front of me, sitting down in front of us and patting my leg. I leaned against James' shoulder, resting my head there and gasping for breath. He squeezed my hand and I squeezed back, trying to calm my gasping breaths. I reached my other hand over and held tight to Miles. Juliet, my friend for the past three years was gone. The one woman I had to talk to on this bloody island; the only one who knew about my feelings for Boone and Miles.

The grinding sound still echoed from the hole, pulling anything metal down into it. What were we going to do now? Our only plan just…

* * *

**AN: Wow. I've had the majority of this chapter written for almost a year now, and it feels good to have it out. Sorry for the cliff-hanger, the next chapter won't be up until next Sunday (5/9/10).**

**Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks to JacDanvers, mchun15, PaperBooksInk, hodhod2011danger, LuliCullen and pani zagloba for reviewing the previous chapter. And thanks to everyone who has this as an alert or favorite. I heart you all :)**


	15. We're Back

**Chapter 15: We're Back, Day 5-6 **

It was dark and silent. I sat up, my ears ringing like I had just been standing by the speakers at a rock concert. Looking around, I found trees and bushes, dirt and ants. I flicked one off my hand and slowly stood, my legs shaky and trembling. I held on to a nearby tree until my balance returned. My jeans were filthy, and I couldn't help but realize I was still in the clothes I had been wearing when I left Dharmaville, my bellbottom jeans and Boone's tee-shirt over one of my tanks. What happened?

I couldn't hear anything but the ringing in my ears. Pinching my nose, I tried to pop my ears. Where was I? It looked like any forest, but at the same time not. I took a few steps, happy that I could finally hear the sound of sticks cracking beneath my feet. "Hello?" I heard someone call and I stopped, trying to pinpoint the sound. "Hello?" The woman called again and I walked quickly towards what I hoped was where the voice was located.

"Anyone here?" I yelled, brushing aside vines and branches. Why was I looking for this strange person? Shouldn't I try to find my way out rather than run into a stranger?

I stepped into a small clearing and stopped. There was a man in a dharma jumpsuit lying on the ground and he looked so very familiar. "Miles?" I asked softly, stepping forward.

"What is it?" The man asked, and I recognized his voice. He was here and alive, who else was around? James? Jin? I wondered what Miles was talking about, until I realized he wasn't talking to me, but to Kate, who had been standing next to a door, a door with a Dharma logo.

"We're back," she said, meeting my eyes before walking away.

Miles was standing now and he took a step towards the direction Kate had disappeared. "Back where?"

"Miles," I said a bit louder and this time he turned, a look of relief washing over his face.

"Kalie." He closed the small gap between us and wrapped his arms around me, his lips brushing against my forehead. "You're okay."

I hugged him tightly, indescribably happy to find him safe and alive. He was here, in my arms and we were together. It didn't matter when or where we were, now that we were together. I buried my head in his chest and shut my eyes."Yeah, so are you. Where's Kate going?"

"I don't know. Come on." He took my hand and pulled me towards the direction Kate had walked.

We followed her through the trees, my arms getting scraped by stray branches. It was cool in the night air and I shivered, wishing I had grabbed a sweatshirt from my house. Of course, why would I have had reason to grab a sweatshirt when we were in mortal peril?

We came upon Kate in a large clearing andshehad stopped by a large hole, bending over with her hands on her knees. "No, no," she whispered when we stood next to her.

"Is that the construction site?" Miles asked and I shook my head. It was the hatch. It didn't work.

"No," Kate said. "That's the Swan hatch after Desmond blew it up."

It didn't work. We didn't land in LAX; were we in the future? What year was it?

Miles seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Guess we're not in 1977 anymore, huh?"

I stared down at the hole, debris piled in the center. We just left this place in 1977, Juliet… I couldn't think of it. Where was James? I looked around wildly, turning on the spot. "Oh my God," I whispered, finding him just a few feet away, lying in the grass.

Kate was kneeling by Jack and I quickly crossed the small gap between us. Kneeling down, I brushed a lock of hair from James' face. The blood from his fight with Jack had dried on his face. I should have been disgusted by the small chips that were brushed away when I moved his hair, but I was too worried about him. "James. James, wake up." Gently, I shook his shoulder, smiling as his eyes opened. "James, can you hear me?"

"What…? Where are we?" He moved to sit up, clutching his head. "Kalie…" he said, looking around the surrounding area.

"It didn't work," I whispered. "We're at the hatch…" I sat back quickly as he jumped up, walking swiftly over to where Jack was now sitting. "James!" I yelled when his foot came out, kicking Jack in the face. Jack toppled over, falling down into the hole.

I grabbed his arm as Kate climbed down into the hole after Jack. "You were wrong! That's the damn Swan hatch! Blown up, just like we left it before we started jumping through time." He pulled free of my grasp, climbing down the same vine as Kate. "You said we could stop it from ever being built and our plane would never crash on this island."

"Stop it!" Kate yelled, pushing James away.

"This ain't LAX. You blew us back right where we started."

I stood above the hole, looking down at the scene. I tried to yell his name, to try and stop this madness, but I couldn't. I wasn't nearly as angry with Jack, but there was a part of me that enjoyed watching his ass get kicked. There was nothing I could do, nothing I could say. I had hoped for a moment that maybe Jack was right; maybe we would never have landed on this bloody island. Maybe I would have been able to land in LA and go home to Dad and Ashton, never meeting Boone or Miles.

Jack was crouched near the side of the hole and James was still yelling. "Except Juliet's dead," he said, his voice much softer than before. "She's dead you son-of-a-bitch because you were wrong."

"Sawyer… I'm sorry. I thought we were supposed to… I thought it would work."

"Well it didn't!"

I looked up at Miles, tears filling my eyes. I wanted to say something, to do something, but there was nothing to do, nothing to say. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. Turning away from the scene in the hole, I buried my face in his shoulder and cried. "Stay here," he said, kissing my forehead before pulling away and climbing down into the hole.

"The bomb must have gone off."

"You think that if an atom bomb went off we'd still be standing here?"

"I don't know…

"That's right, you don't!" James yelled loudly and I cringed. Walking over towards the hole, I sat on the ground near the vines in case I felt the need to climb down with everyone else. "For once you don't know!"

"Jack!" Jin burst through the trees and I jumped to my feet. "Sayid needs help."

"Sayid?" I asked, my heart jumping in my chest. In my confusion, I had completely forgotten my brother. He had been shot in Dharmaville, and I was surprised to find he was still alive. I would have thought he would have succumbed to his injuries while we were being shot at and Jack was dropping the nuclear bomb.

"Where is he?"

"With Hurley at the van, two minutes away. He's still bleeding and we don't know what to do."

I looked back at the direction Jin had come from, wondering what I should do. Miles and James were here, but Sayid was injured. What should I do?

"What do you say, Doc? Got another great idea to save Sayid?" Kate had wandered over to the pile ofdebris, as if listening for something. I grabbed the vines and climbed down. "Maybe there's another nuke lying around…"

"Hey, shut up," Kate said, bending down over the rubble. Everyone stopped arguing, choosing to pace the dirt and rubble rather than argue.

I walked over to where Kate was kneeling, and then I heard it. "Oh my God," I whispered. A small voice called out, so soft I had to concentrate hard to hear was only one person who could be down there, calling out to us.

James ran over to us, climbing on top of the rubble. "Juliet!"

We listened, waiting for an answer. My heart was in my throat and I dared not breathe in case I missed it. "James?" The voice called and I let out a quick breath, shutting my eyes and thanking whatever God was listening.

"Oh my God," Kate said, echoing me. She began pulling debris from the pile and we all joined in, trying to clear the area as fast as we could.

She was still alive! How she had survived the fall and then the tower landing on top of her was beyond me. But she was alive! Miles, Jack and Jin joined us in pulling the metal scraps and tossing them to the side.

"Juliet! We're coming!" James yelled and we joined together to lift a large piece of metal from the pile. "If we can move this beam, I think I can get down there."

Jack, Kate, James and Miles grabbed at the beam, lifting with all their strength while Jin and I stood off to the side. "It's too heavy." They dropped the beam back onto the pile. "Jin, the van. There are some chains in it."

Jin climbed up the vines and ran into the jungle, while Kate and James continued to pull debris from the pile. I stayed to the side, not wanting to get in the way. There was no room for me, and I didn't want James to turn his anger at Jack onto me.

James was desperately pulling smaller pieces of metal and throwing them to the side. I watched as he tried several times to pull at the large beam, only to drop it back not even two inches off the ground. My heart ached, but there was nothing I could do.

The sound of a motor broke through the near silence of the blown-up hatch and I looked up at the hill, allowing myself a small smile at the sight of the van. "I'll get the chains," Jack said when the van shut off. Miles jogged up to the vines with him and helped to pull the chains down into the hole and over to the large beam.

They tied the chains around the beam and Jin turned on the ignition, putting it in drive and pulling forward. With some groaning and grinding, the beam was pulled free and the hole opened. "Give me the flashlight."

Clasping my hands together, I prayed. I wanted Juliet to be alive and James to be happy. She made him had changed immensely since arriving in the 1970's, and I found I liked this version of him.I prayed that if she would just be alive, I wouldn't ever ask to leave this island again. James needed her. "Kay." I looked up at the sound of my name, forcing a smile. Miles sat down next to me and placed an arm around my shoulders. "You okay?"

"How can I be okay?" I whispered, a stray tear sliding down my cheek. "Juliet's down there and she's probably going to die. Sayid's in the van, and he's probably going to die. And to top it all off, we're stuck here, still on the island."

"Come on," he said, standing up and holding out a hand.

I wiped away the tears with my filthy hands and took his hand, letting him pull me to my feet. We walked to the vines and I climbed, letting Jin help me over the top. "Sayid," I whispered and walked quickly to the van. His face was stained with blood and his eyes were closed. He looked dead already, and if I hadn't noticed his chest slowly rising and falling I would have believed that to be true.

Jack was bending over him, checking beneath the blood stained fabric. He let me climb in, sitting down with Sayid's head in my lap. I brushed stray locks of hair from his face and chewed on my lip as I looked down at him.

"I think I can get the bullet out, but it won't stop the bleeding. There's nothing I can do for him."

I closed my eyes tightly. He was going to die. I knew this already, but Jack's words helped it set in. I was going to lose the brother I barely knew. Tears welled in my eyes as I heard his words echo in my head: _There's nothing I can do for him…_

"There's something I can do," Hurley said from behind me and I looked up quickly. "There's a temple. If we can get Sayid there we can save him."

"What temple?" I asked softly, brushing hair from his face, but no one heard me.

"And you know this how?"

Hurley was quiet, "this guy Jacob told me just before we got here."

"Who's Jacob?"

"Does it matter? Can you fix Sayid, Jack?" Jack shook his head and whispered what sounded like no. "Then you're going to have to let me do it."

I stared into Hurley's face. He was serious, and I knew that we had to follow him. "I say let's go for it. If Hurley can save him, let's do it."

Our small group stayed silent after my comment and I had to admit I liked it that way. People rarely listened to me, and it was nice to be heard for once.I brushed hair from Sayid's face wishing he would open his eyes and say something. "I love you," I whispered. "Even if you've been a jerk. Please just open your eyes." Jack, Hurley and Jin looked away and I dropped my head, letting the tears slide down my cheeks.

The sound of metal clinking a few minutes later drew everyone to the hole once more. I stayed where I was, not wanting to jostle Sayid anymore than necessary. "Sayid, please," I said again, hoping he could hear me. "Please, just wake up."

I stayed in the van with his head on my lap until the sun rose. It was only a couple hours, but it felt like much, much longer. No one except Jack came over to us, and that was only to check if Sayid was still breathing. I had nothing on my mind except my brother and his well being. Nothing else mattered at the moment.

"Kalie, we're moving him now." I looked up at Jack and nodded. "Could you help us slide him out onto the stretcher?"

I was suddenly hit with the memory of Jack and Michael moving Boone right before he died. Shaking my head, I tried to clear the awful image from my mind. I didn't need to remember that now**.** "Yeah, sure." I kissed my fingers and placed them lightly on his forehead before helping Jack slide him out the door.

It was bright, and I squinted, trying to adjust my eyes to the sunlight. The van had been darker, almost like a place of mourning. When he was on the stretcher and I was out of the van, I was able to think of other things. I quickly scanned the area for James, unable to find him. What happened to Juliet? "Miles, where's…?" I trailed off as he shook his head. He nodded towards a canvas sheet lying on the ground. I made out Juliet's shoes sticking out the end and shut my eyes quickly, my heart stopping in my chest. "She's…"

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I needed to get a hold of myself. Now was not the time to cry over Juliet, not when worked needed to be done."Yeah." He leaned on the window of the van and I watched Hurley pull a guitar case from inside. "What are we singing kumbaya on the way?"

"It's not a guitar, dude."

"Well then, what is it?" Rather than wait to hear Hurley's answer, I walked slowly over to where James was now standing with Kate.

He pulled the shovels from the back of the van and turned. "Hey Miles, mind hanging back?"

"You got it, boss."

"James," I said softly, walking up to him.

"Not now, Kalie."

Biting my lip, I glanced down at the sheet. "Do you want help?" I wanted to stay, but I knew he wouldn't let me. I was torn between staying with James and going with Sayid. I wanted to help bury her, my best friend. I needed to do this to help cope.

He looked over at me and shook his head. "Go with Sayid."

"James… I'm sorry." I reached out, gently touching his arm and squeezing lightly.

Before leaving the van, I knelt down by the sheet. "Bye Juliet. Thank you for everything." I made the sign of the cross over where her head before standing up. She was gone, my friend was gone. I hugged Miles tightly and kissed him before joining the group that was getting ready to leave. Jack gave Sayid a sip of water and I leaned against the van. I couldn't think, couldn't get my mind to concentrate on anything.

Juliet's body was still on the ground, covered by the sheet. I thought back to the many times she had let me vent to her. She knew about my dilemma between Miles and Boone. She knew about what I wanted to do with my life. She knew that I felt like such an outsider in our little group. She was my best friend.

"Kalie, stay." I turned at the sound of James' voice, surprised to find him speaking to me. I met his eyes and nodded, wondering why he decided to let me stay now.

Walking quickly, I knelt by Sayid and kissed his forehead. "Take care of him. I'll be there soon."

Kate met my eyes and nodded, and then they were off. Jack and Jin led the way, carrying Sayid's body on the stretcher with Hurley and Kate following close behind. I watched them until they turned a corner and vanished from sight before meeting up with James and Miles in a small clearing nearby. They had already started digging the hole, so I sat down; waiting for the moment when I could do something.

They dug in near silence, the only sound being the dirt tossed onto the pile and the shovels digging into the ground. Our first burial on the island using shovels. How strange was it that I noticed this? With Scott and Boone we used bamboo carved into shovels, which were used again for Shannon, Ana Lucia, Libby, Eko, etc.

I switched off with Miles after nearly an hour, heading into the fresh grave and continuing to dig. The nearby dirt mound was piled higher and higher until James stopped digging and crawled out of the hole. I took Miles' offered hand and let him pull me out, standing aside as James gently laid Juliet in the four foot deep hole.

Miles took the shovel and helped James fill the hole back in. I said a quick prayer and sat on a nearby log."I think that'll do it, boss," Miles said as James continued to pat the fresh mound of dirt.

"Stop calling me 'boss'. You ain't my deputy anymore."

"You got it…" he trailed off like he was going to say it again. I stood from my perch on the log and walked over to them, slipping my hand into Miles' and holding tightly. "Are you thirsty? I thought I saw some beers in the van. The construction guys hid them in the…"

"What'd she want to tell me, Miles?"

"Excuse me?"

I looked up at James, his handsome face now bloody, his eyes bloodshot. "Juliet. She said she wanted to tell me something and then she died. What was it?"

"Is that why you asked me to stay back?" I pulled my hand from Miles' and stepped away. There was no reason for me to be there for this. I instantly regretted my decision to stay here. I should have known that was the reason James would have wanted Miles to stay. I had thought he might want friends nearby, but he just wanted to use Miles.

"You're the only one around that talks to dead people." His voice sounded so sad, so filled with grief, I couldn't bear to listen.

I walked away, kneeling on the ground to pick up a few sticks and a vine. They were arguing now. I saw James' side; I would want to know too. If it had been Boone, I would have done the same thing. Miles had told me what Boone was thinking when he died, long before I was ever friends with him, but I also knew from Miles that it wasn't worth knowing. He had told me stories of what he'd done and how many people he had contacted. I shivered thinking back on it.

"Jim, that's not how it works."

James stepped towards Miles and I sat in the grass, watching their scene. Slowly, I tied the sticks together, making a cross. I didn't have anything of hers like in our old cemetery, and I couldn't carve her name into the wood, but we would know. If we ever came back to this spot, we would know. "What did she want to tell me, Miles?"

"It's not going to help! She's gone, James!"

"Oh!" I looked up and gasped as James reached out and grabbed Miles, knocking him to the ground and pushing his face in the dirt. I jumped up and even took a step forward before I stopped.

"I know she's gone. I know. Now tell me." He let up on Miles' neck and I breathed a short sigh of relief.

"Okay, okay," Miles whispered and he crawled to his knees, kneeling on the fresh mound of dirt.

I sat back down, wrapping my arms around my knees. Miles placed his hands on the dirt and bent over, resting his head against them. He shook for a moment and I watched carefully. I had never seen him do this, and it honestly scared me.

"What?" James asked, leaning closer to Miles.

"It worked."

"What did she want to tell me?"

"That's what she wanted to tell you. It worked." Miles was breathing heavily as he looked over at James. I wanted to run to him and hold him tightly, but I held back. Instead, I crossed my arms over my chest and looked out into the trees.

James stood up, still looking down at him. "What worked?" Apparently Miles' lack of answer wasn't acceptable and James stormed off into the jungle.

I crawled over and placed my hand on Miles' shoulder. He jerked away for a moment, before glancing over at me. "Are you okay?" I asked, slipping my hand into his. I held onto his arm, not sure what I should say or do.

"Yeah. Come on; we better catch up to him." Pulling his hand from mine, he stood up and brushed the dirt from his jeans.

He walked away, pausing ten feet out, waiting for me to join him. I picked up my makeshift cross and stuck it in the dirt above where her head was. "Good bye, Juliet. I'll miss you, we all will."

I walked over to him and tried to hold his hand, but he pulled back, shoving his hands in his pockets. Rather than start an argument, I crossed my arms over my chest and fell in line behind him. If he needed to be alone, I'd give him alone time.

We walked along the path, finally coming to where James was sitting on a rock, his head in his hands. Miles paused for a moment and before he could walk forward, I put my hand on his arm, stopping him. "I'll go," I said softly. I walked as quietly as I could and sat next to James on the ground.

I placed my hand on his leg, wanting to offer as much comfort as I could. There was nothing I could say that would make him hurt less, but I could be here. His arm came up and wrapped around my shoulder, and I leaned against his leg. "I'm so sorry, James."

"What worked?" He asked, looking over at me with bloodshot eyes. "What was she talking about?"

"I don't know," I whispered, tears welling in my eyes again. "I wish I did. But I know she wouldn't want you sitting here when we have things we can do."

Standing up, I held out my hand. He stared at it before taking it in his own and standing up. We walked maybe five steps before a loud crack echoed through the clearing. "Kay!" Miles shouted and I spun, dropping James' hand. We were surrounded by… Others.

"Ah, hell," I sighed.

I had almost no hand to hand combat experience, and we had no guns. The Others charged forward and James started fighting. He knocked one man down, and started on the second, fists flying. Two men grabbed me from behind, holding my arms tight as I screamed and struggled. "Miles! Help!" I screamed, hoping he would come to my rescue, but he too was trapped.

James had knocked out two more, and then a fourth before someone threw a rock. It hit him square on the head he crumpled to the ground. I screamed as his forehead met the ground and the Others closed in on him. "James!"

They picked him up, carrying him into the jungle while Miles and I were dragged behind. I stumbled over rocks, but didn't fall due to the tight grip the men had on my arms. My eyes stayed focused on the ground as I tried to step carefully over the obstacles in my path.

I had no idea where we were headed, but it was somewhere I had never been. We were walking deep in the jungle and the trees grew thicker. "Whoa," Miles said and I looked up, staring at a large wall. It was covered in vines and had chunks missing, either from weather or war. It reminded me of the description of the castle in Prince Caspian, only not as dilapidated.

We were dragged through a door and what looked like a courtyard in front of a large pyramid shaped building. This must be the temple Hurley had been talking about. What else could a large building like this be used for in the middle of the jungle?

The men tossed us through another door and I fell to the floor, scraping my hands on the stone. "What happened?" I heard someone ask in a very familiar voice.

Scanning the room, I found Jack, Hurley, Kate, Jin… and Sayid. My brother was lying on the stretcher, and he wasn't moving. I looked for any sign of breathing, but found none; his chest was still. I picked myself up, wiping my dirty and bloody hands on my jeans. I was scared to go over there, fearing the worst. Miles answered Kate as I stared at Sayid's body. "They jumped us in the jungle. He took four of them out before one of them hit him with a damn rock."

Miles stood next to me, brushing dirt and debris from my his hand on my shoulder, I crossed the room and knelt by Sayid's body. "Jack? What happened?"

"They put him in the pool… he's gone, Kalie. I tried to save him but…" Jack trailed off, tears glistening in his eyes.

"No," I gasped reaching out to him.I took Sayid's hand in mine and brought it to my cheek. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. Sayid was gone. Juliet and Sayid… with in just a few hours, we lost two people. I was quickly running out of people I cared about on this island. I had no family, no one left.

"Where are we?" I asked, opening my eyes and looking up at Jack. He looked scared, worried, and I was actually sorry for him. I didn't want to be, but he had been through as much as we had. He lost these people, too.

"The temple."

Bells rang all through the temple and people began rushing around. I looked towards the outside, watching people hurry around. I wanted to pay attention, to find out what was going on, but I didn't have the energy. Within just a few hours, two of the people I cared about had died.

A hand rested gently on my shoulder and I jumped, turning my head around quickly. "Hey, just me." Miles sat behind me and pulled me close. I held on tightly to Sayid's hand and let Miles hold me. His breath tickled my ear and he lightly brushed his lips against it. "I'm sorry, Kay," he whispered into my ear, "for this and before."

I nodded, unable to trust my voice with speech. "Hey," Hurley said with a nod towards us as he sat down on the other side of Sayid. He bent down, "Good bye, dude. If you ever want to talk, I'm around."

Closing my eyes, I rested my head against Miles' chest, taking comfort in his heart beating in his chest. I still had someone here, someone I loved. I wasn't alone. I had Miles and James, Jin and Hurley, and if I was really desperate, Jack and Kate. "What?" I heard Hurley ask, but I couldn't open my eyes.

The saltwater tears were stinging my eyes and I wiped them away with my free hand. "Nothing," Miles said, his voice rumbling in his chest. He held me tighter and I let a small sob escape.

I cried, letting the tears slide down my cheeks. I hadn't cried like this since Boone, but this time I had someone to hold me. After what felt like a half hour, my sobs subsided and the tears stopped falling. I forced myself to look away from his body, anywhere else but there. But no matter how hard I tried, my eyes would still look back at him. Miles stood and took my arms, pulling me to my feet and leading me to a deserted corner.

We sat in a corner away from everyone. My tears had subsided, but I was still staring at his body. He was gone. It had been three years since I really had a conversation with him, but he was my brother. He was the only biological family I had met, and the only family I had seen in recent years. "Where's James, Miles?"

"Kate's got him, he's fine." He lightly kissed my forehead and I reached up to wipe the dried tears from my eyes.

Everyone was in their own world. Jack was sitting by the mud colored pool, Hurley and Jin were staring in to space and Kate and James were talking quietly. I hated her, and I hated Jack. They ruined everything good we had… everything. I wanted to be angry with someone and they were the easiest ones at the moment.

I looked up as three men entered the pool room, "Shephard?"

"Yeah?"

"We need to talk to you privately."

"If you've got something to say to me then say it. Otherwise, just leave me alone," Jack said, and all the hatred I had towards him evaporated. He was hurting, just like I was and it wasn't fair to be angry with him, not now.

"I don't think you understand me here. I'm asking politely. Either you come with me or I have you dragged out. Because we are going to have this conversation and it's not going to be here."

"Is that right?" Jack stood and crossed the floor, stopping in front of the man with the 1960's style glasses. I heard scuffling and watched two of the men move forward and grab Jack's arms.

"Jack!" Hurley yelled and the scuffling stopped.

"Oh my God," one of the men whispered and I quickly turned to see what they were all looking at.

I gasped. He was sitting up and leaning on his side, his hair still damp and matted."What happened?" He asked, looking up at us all.

"Sayid?" I whispered my jaw…

* * *

**AN: Well, it's up a day early :) I wasn't sure how I wanted this chapter to go, especially with the Flash Sideways, but I'm happy with how it turned out. **

**Oh goodness... can we please just have a moment of silence for our deceased friends? Tuesday's episode left me in such shock... I was speechless and couldn't sleep for nearly an hour afterward. The second time I watched it, I bawled like a baby. I won't say who in case you haven't seen it, but... wow.**

**Thank you to: hodhod2011danger, LuliCullen, CaptJessicaSparrow, PaperBooksInk, panizagloba and JacDanvers for reviewing the previous chapter. And thanks for all the people who read but don't review. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!**


	16. Safe for a Moment

**Chapter 16: Safe for a Moment, Day 6 **

I could hear people talking near me, and I could feel a wet cloth on my forehead, but I didn't want to open my eyes. I recognized Miles' and Kate's voices, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Slowly, my curiosity got the better of me and I opened my eyes."Kalie? Kay." I shook my head, and looked around. Miles was kneeling over me, brushing the hair from my face. "Hey," he whispered, a smile on his lips. "You're awake."

"What happened?" I struggled to sit up, looking around the cave. I remembered being in here, this was the temple. The Others dragged us here after burying Juliet, but what happened after that? I had been sitting by Sayid's body with Miles and then we moved…

"You fainted."

I reached up, holding my head in hands. I had a dull headache, but nothing worth complaining about. "I gathered that. Why…?" Everything rushed back to me and I looked quickly across the cave, sending my head spinning. "Sayid…"

"Yeah, he's alive," Miles replied, sounding almost mystified.

"Help me up." He took my arms and pulled me to my feet. As quickly as I could, I made my way across the room and knelt next to Sayid. "You're alive," I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck. Miles had disappeared, but at the moment, I wasn't worried. He could take care of himself.

"Easy, Kalie," Jack said, pulling on my arm. "Come on; let's get him outside."

I sat back, letting Jin and Jack lift Sayid to his feet and help him walk out. It took me a moment, but soon I was following them into the bright sunlight. Hurley walked next to me and we were followed by a few Others,apparently we weren't allowed to go anywhere unaccompanied. They had him sit on a large rock and I sat on the ground near by, looking up. "Here," Miles said, handing Sayid a canteen before standing near me.

"Who are these people? What do they want?" Sayid asked, taking a sip from the canteen.

"It's the Others dude. They caught us. Again. I dunno dude, I think they're trying to protect us."

"And as you can see, Hugo here has assumed the leadership position, so… that's pretty great." I slapped Miles' leg, wishing he would stop being such an ass. Although after three years, I had actually grown accustomed to his snarky comments and actually missed them when he was being nice.

"What?" Sayid asked, resting the canteen on the rock next to him.

Jack lifted up Sayid's shirt, "the wound. It's almost completely healed."

Sure enough, the bullet wound that had been bleeding profusely just a few hours ago was now completely closed and looked weeks if not months old. Sayid looked confused, as did the rest of us. What happened in that spring? "Thank you, Jack," Sayid said, pulling his shirt down to cover the wound.

"For what?"

"For saving my life."

A loud bang sounded across the courtyard and several Others walked towards us. I jumped to my feet and watched, my hand resting on Sayid's shoulder. An Asian man spoke something and gestured towards Sayid. "Mr. Jarrah, would you come with us please?" The man with the Lennon glasses asked, obviously translating for the Asian man.

"Come with you where?"

"Inside," he answered. "Nothing to worry about, we just…"

Jack took a step forward and interrupted, "I'm coming with him."

"Oh, I'm sorry. We need to talk to him along. Just a few questions…"

"You have a few questions? Well, so do we. Let's start with who are you? Why are you holding us here?"

The Asian man interrupted and Jack stopped talking, his eyes shifting to where the man was standing. I wasn't sure if I agreed with Jack's way of questioning, but I was certainly curious of the answers. Who were these people? "Once we've spoken to Mr. Jarrah, we'll be happy to tell you everything you want to know," the Lennon man translated.

I chuckled inwardly, highly doubting that they would tell us anything.

"Something tells me, you're not going to be happy to tell us anything," Jack said, walking up to the Asian man.

He said something and before I even blinked, two men rushed forward and grabbed Jack's arms. I gasped and stepped back, walking right into Hurley, his arms moving quickly out to steady me. Miles moved to rush forward and other men grabbed at him, kicking him in the stomach. "Stop!" I yelled, but Hurley held me back, holding my arm tightly.

Gunshots echoed through the temple and everyone turned towards the sound**, **except for the man now punching Miles. He added two extra shots before stepping away. I pulled my arm from Hurley's grasp andmoved to Miles' side before I looked up to see who fired the shots. James."Don't shoot. Lower your weapons."James was aiming into the temple grounds, his gun held high."Please, you don't have to do this. We won't hurt your friend."

"He ain't my friend. Do what you want with him, and anybody else. But me? I'm walking outta here."

"James,"Kate said, walking a few steps forward.

"I'm gone, do you hear me?"He moved aside a few boards, the gun still pointed in the direction of the Asian man.

I wanted to call out to him, to stop him from leaving. He was our leader; he was supposed to be in charge. He was our head of security, even though it wasn't 1977 any longer."Please,"the man said, speaking English for the first time."You have to stay."

"No, I don't."He stepped up to the door and opened it, gun still aimed. He scanned the crowd, meeting my eyes for a fraction of a second."Don't come after me," he said, looking directly at Kate. And then, he was gone, pulling the door closed behind him.

I was frozen for a moment, before turning to Miles, now leaning against the wall. "Are you okay?" I asked, helping him stand up straight.

"Do I look okay?" He asked sarcastically, holding his stomach.

Rolling my eyes, I turned and looked around."Where are they taking Sayid?" I heard Jack ask, his arms still being held by two of the Others.

"Hey, calm down, everybody calm down," a new man yelled, pointing his gun at Jack. What now?

Lennon walked up to Jack and their voices lowered. I couldn't make out exactly what they were saying but I heard James' name mentioned and Jack say something about James wanting to kill him. That didn't surprise me in the least. After Juliet's death, I think James was ready to kill everyone.

"I can bring him back," Kate said loudly, joining into the conversation.

"You know where he went?"

"No, but I can track him."

I shook my head, sighing softly. Kate ready to save the day. James didn't want to be here, there was no way she could bring him back. "Let me go, I will bring him back and I can make him stay."

"I'll go with her," Jin chimed in and I glanced over at him in surprise. Like me, he was a quiet participant in this little play and I hadn't expected him to say anything.

Wrapping my arm around Miles waist, I leaned into him. "Can I get you anything? Water? Something to eat?"

"Water's fine," he said softly, sliding out of my grasp and sitting down on Sayid's vacated rock.

Ignoring the people milling about, I picked up the discarded canteen and headed inside. "Excuse me," I said softly, walking up to a woman and two kids. She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place her. "Can you point me in the direction of some water?"

"Sure," she said with a smile. "Right in there, through that door."

"Thanks." I smiled and walked away in the direction she pointed. After filling up the canteen, I headed back into the courtyard and over to where Miles was seated. "Here." I handed him the canteen and knelt on the ground next to him.

He nodded and took the water, sipping slowly. "Thanks," he said after a minute.

"Did they hurt you bad?" I looked up at him, wincing as he sipped the water.

"Not too bad. I've had worse."

Our conversation fell silent and I looked around the courtyard. Now that Kate and Jin had left, and the Others had taken Sayid, all the activity had died down. It was quiet, and only a few people walked around, chatting with each other.

"Come on," he said, a short while later. "Let's go find everyone." Standing up, he held out his hand.

I stared at it for a moment before taking it and letting him help me to my feet. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, stop worrying." We walked hand-in-hand into the temple and over to where Hurley was standing. "What's going on?"

"Kate and Jin left and Jack's wandering around. Dude, this is some weird stuff."

I had to smile at Hurley. Even in the worst times, he could always make me smile. He was the only one I missed while being stuck in the 1970's. Jack, Kate, Sayid… rarely crossed my mind. But when I thought back to Charlie, Claire or Boone, I always thought of Hurley.

People stumbled into the temple and as soon as we got a good look at who it was, we all rushed over. "Sayid!"The two men holding him practically pushed him into Hurley and we all struggled to keep him up."Jack. He's back,"Hurley called as we slowly carried Sayid over and sat him against a wall near the pool.

I stepped back as Jack walked over. Sayid looked awful. His hair was matted with sweat, and he looked to be in pain. What had they done to him? I glanced backward, but both men had disappeared."Sayid, what happened?"Jack asked, kneeling down next to my brother.

"They tortured me,"he said softly, his voice sounding close to tears.

"Why?"

"I don't know. They didn't ask me any questions."

Jack stood, quickly walking away and I knelt down in his stead. I brushed hair from Sayid's forehead and rested my hand on his shoulder. "Get some water and any cloth you can find," I said, not caring who went.

A minute later, a canteen and ripped shirt were thrust into my vision. I smiled up at Miles and took the items, ripping the shirt into smaller pieces. Soaking one of the pieces in water, I gently wiped his forehead. "Thank you," he said softly, looking up into my eyes. My heart ached for him and I wished there was more that I could do.

"Hey, I'm supposed to do this, I'm your sister, remember? Here, drink." I held the canteen up for him and he slowly took a drink, sputtering as water dripped down his chin. "Let me worry about taking care of you. It'll give me something to do."

"So, nothing, there wasn't anything. No white light, no angels singing, no dead relatives…" Miles asked and I rolled my eyes.

"I remember being shot,"Sayid answered, reaching up and pulling the wet shirt from his forehead.

Apparently, this was fascinating to Miles, the man who talks with the dead. I didn't want to hear about it, I didn't want to know."You're not a zombie, right?" Hurley asked and I turned toward him, one eyebrow raised. Strangely enough, it was a fair question.

"No, I am not a zombie," Sayid answered, his voice almost laughing.

I looked down at Sayid, still worried. He had gone through a lot in the past few days, being shot, dying and then being resurrected again, and now tortured. Couldn't he get a break?

Wiping his forehead again with the wet cloth, I gently placed a kiss on his temple. I may not have spoken to him in three years, and he may have done many things I'm angry with him about, but he's still my brother, my family. Currently, the only family I had, excluding Miles**. **"Hey,"Miles said and I looked up, finding Jack standing next to us.

"Mind giving me and Sayid a minute?"

I nodded and stood up, leaving the damp cloth and canteen on the floor. "Yeah, see, private talks kinda freak me out cause they usually lead to me doing something I don't quite understand," Hurley said, standing up on the rocks.

"Right there with ya," Jack agreed with a small laugh.

"Come on. We'll be in the food court if you need us," Miles said, nudging Hurley and taking my hand. I looked back at Sayid before we walked away, still worried. "He'll be fine, Kay."

"I wish I was as sure as you." I let Miles lead me out of the temple and back into the courtyard.

I walked with him and Hurley outside, oblivious to the goings on around me. We sat on some of the fallen columns. Miles sat down first, pulling me down to sit between his legs. Leaning against Miles' shoulder, I smiled when his arms wrapped around my waist. "Love you," he whispered into my hair, his lips brushing my ear.

"Love you, too," I whispered back, resting my hand on his knee. It wasn't like him to say it first, usually he responded to me if at all. It was almost scary, like things were changed more than I thought.

How long we stayed like that, I wasn't sure. It wasn't long though, maybe an hour at most. Hurley wandered the courtyard, picking at the tray of fruit and water a couple children brought around with the familiar looking woman. I still haven't been able to place her. They called her Cindy, but knowing her name hasn't helped my poor memory.

As we sat, little thoughts snuck into my consciousness, forcing me to think about things I hadn't thought about in hours if not days. "Miles, can I ask you a question?"

"You mean aside from the one you just asked?"

I rolled my eyes, but smiled anyway. "Yes, aside from that one."

"Sure."

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't yell at me for asking the question. "When we were at the construction site, right before Juliet fell down the hole, you called Dr. Chang 'Dad'."

"That wasn't a question, Kay," he said softly, his arms tightening around me.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He hesitated, but I didn't regret my question. I thought this was a significant detail of his life that he never shared with me, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. "Do you really think now is the time to ask that?"

"Do you really think we're going to have time later?" I wanted to turn and look into his face, but the only way that would be possible was to stand up. I settled for leaning sideways and glancing over my shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me?" I repeated, wanting an answer.

"Because I didn't want you to feel sorry for me. My dad left when I was a baby, telling my mom that he didn't love us, didn't love me. My mom raised me on her own, even though I didn't give her an easy time.

"When we got here, the second day, I was in line in the cafeteria and my mom got in line behind me. It was only 1974, three more years before I was born so I didn't think anything of it. Then the three years passed and my mom got pregnant. Then everyone got the announcement that Dr. Chang's wife had given birth to a son."

Everything slowly clicked into place. "That's why you were so angry on your birthday, why you didn't want me around."

"When Jin, Hurley and I were hiding in the jungle before heading down to the beach, we saw him yelling at her, my mom. It was the only way he could get her to leave him. He did love us, he just wanted her safe." He was lost in thought, staring out into the courtyard.

I leaned back into his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. His arms wrapped around me once again and we were content, at least for now. Miles didn't say another word on the topic and I didn't ask anymore questions. I didn't want to push my luck anymore than I already had.

What were we going to do now? Kate was gone with Jin to look for James and Sayid was in the temple with Jack. If we weren't told to do something soon, I was going to go crazy.

* * *

**AN: I'll start off by apologising for this being so late. It was a busy weekend and yesterday was the day from... well let's just say it wasn't a very good day :) The next chapter probably won't be up until next Tuesday or Wednesday. It's almost completely written, but I'm going to be way too floored from the Finale.**

**Thanks to: the_werewolf_gal, hodhod2011danger, PaperBooksInk, panizagloba, LuliCullen, tntlostfan, CaptJessicaSparrow and mchun15 for reviewing the previous chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Enjoy the final two episodes of _Lost_!**


	17. The Escape

**Chapter 17: The Escape, Day 6-7**

Miles and I were still sitting in our spot on the fallen column. I didn't know what to do or where to go. The Others seemed to content to ignore us, and that was fine with me. The less contact I had with them, the better. A short while later**, **Hurley joined us again, sitting quietly.

"I'll be back," Hurley said a few minutes after he sat down, standing up and walking away.

"Where do you think Tubby's going?"

I rolled my eyes and sighed, shaking my head. "Don't call him that and I have no idea where he's going. I learned not to ask."

We fell into silence and I resumed watching people. Hurley was wandering the courtyard, collecting leaves and twigs. "Sayid was really dead, huh?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, he was gone."

I nodded, chewing on my lip. "Do you think he's really going to be okay?"

"I don't know, Kay, I don't know."

"Want to play Tic-Tac-Toe?" Hurley asked, walking up to us, his arms filled with leaves and twigs.

"And how are we going to do that?"

Holding up the twigs and leaves, he grinned. "Like this, dude." Sitting down, he twirled the vines into circles, stuck leaves together to make an X and laid down four long sticks. "Ta-da, instant tic-tac-toe game."

I couldn't hold back the grin that spread across my face. Just like the golf course, Hurley managed to make an activity out of nothing. "Hurley, you're wonderful!" I stood up and hugged him tightly. "Do you want X or O?"

"What's so wonderful about a game?"

"Shut up," I said, smacking Miles' shoulder. He wasn't around before. He didn't know how even just a game as simple as Tic-Tac-Toe could brighten someone's day.

Hurley and I played a few games, tying two out of three games with him winning the third. Finally, Miles decided he was bored enough and took over for me while I sat down. I swung my legs back and forth, giggling at their game. "Tie again, dude."

"Shocker. That's it for me." Miles leaned against my seat and I slid my hand into his. As strange as this was, I was actually happy for the moment. No one else probably felt the same way, but I was happy. Did that mean something was wrong with me? We weren't running for our lives and at the moment, we were safe. I should probably take the small moment of happiness, it might be the last one I had.

"You hungry?"

"Are you?"

Hurley shrugged,"I could eat. I'll go look for a kitchen." Hurley dropped the remainder of the vines on the ground and headed into the temple.

"I'm going to look for a bathroom, I'll be right back." After placing a quick kiss on his forehead, I squeezed his hand and slid off the broken rock that was my seat.

I wandered into the temple, staring into the mud-colored pool. My brother was still sitting where we left him, but Jack was no where to be found. "Sayid? What are you doing?" I walked around the pool and knelt next to him.

"Kalila," he said softly, a small smile on his lips. "What are you doing in here?"

"I was looking for the restroom and I saw you over here. Are you okay? Do you need some water?"

He shook his head and took my hand in his, his fingers intertwining with mine. "Thank you. I was just going to look for Jack, have you seen him?"

"No, not since he told us to leave."

Sayid stood and helped me to my feet, his hand sliding from mine. "I will go look for him now. See you," he said, lightly kissing my cheek.

I watched him leave the temple, looking much better than he had just an hour before. My mind was jumbled and I didn't know what way was up. I could ramble on it for hours, days even, but now was not the time.

After locating the restroom, I headed back to Miles, sitting back on the stone seat I had just vacated. "Hurley's not back yet?" I asked, swinging my legs once again.

"No, maybe he got lost," Miles said, not bothering to glance at me.

I rolled my eyes, a small smile creeping across my face. "Hey Miles," I said softly, waiting for him to look at me. When he finally did, I leaned in, lightly brushing my lips against his.

"What was that for?"

Shrugging, I smiled again and leaned back on the rock. "No reason."

Minutes passed and it felt like time was slowing to a crawl. The sun was still high in the sky and felt like it'd been there for hours."Do you know where Sayid went? He was talking with Jack, but I lost him," I asked Miles, scanning the courtyard; just in case I missed him.

"I thought he went in the temple," he said offhandedly, not paying me the least bit of attention.

Rolling my eyes, I leaned back on the rock and looked up at the sky. The sun was bright and I had to squint to see further than the trees. Jack and Hurley had disappeared into the temple and hadn't come back yet. Kate and Jin were still looking for James, leaving Miles, Sayid and me behind at the temple

"There he is," Miles said, pointing towards Sayid. "What's he doing?" My brother walked over to a small pile of food and picked a pack off the ground and filling it with food. "Come on."

We walked across the courtyard and stopped in front of him."Sayid?"I asked softly, my voice wavering.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving. I've been banished." Sayid pack things in the bag, barely glancing up at us.

"What? What are you talking about?" I asked in alarm. Why were they making him leave? What had he done?

"Banished? For what?"

"Apparently, I'm evil. These people say I'm better off dead, which is surprising, considering they were the ones who saved my life."

"Actually, there not. They tried to save you, but… you were dead, man. For two hours. Trust me, when you sat up, they were just as surprised as the rest of us. So whatever brought you back, it wasn't them."

The banging of a door startled me and I jumped before turning around and looking to see how had entered. Part of me wished it was James, coming back because he knew he belonged with us. I wanted him back here, knowing he was safe.

But when I turned and finally made out who had entered, my jaw dropped in shock. It wasn't James that walked into the courtyard, but Claire, my dear friend who had disappeared in the jungle three years ago."Stop. Don't shoot her,"the Lennon man said, storming forward.

"Claire?" I whispered, not quite believing what I saw. I hadn't seen her in three years; not since she disappeared in the jungle, leaving Aaron alone.

"What are you doing here?"

She stopped in front of the temple master, who has also walked forward. "He wants to see you." He started to say something to the translator, but Claire cut him off. "Speak English."

"Who wants to see me?"

"You know who." She looked ragged, not at all like the Claire I used to know. Her hair was knotted and she was filthy, her clothes ripped and looked like Rousseau when we first met her. "Then maybe you should send someone he won't kill," she said, turning and walking away.

"Stop her!" Two men grabbed Claire's arms and escorted her directly passed us. I met her eyes for a moment, shocked to see how wild she looked.

"I thought you wanted me to leave," Sayid said and I turned my attention back to him, ignoring Claire.

"Things have changed."

Sayid stepped forward and I reached out, grabbing his arm. "Don't go," I said softly, meeting his eyes. I had a bad feeling; I didn't want him to go. Something was going to happen, and it wasn't good, although, on this island, that wasn't much of a surprise. Bad things had been happening since the first night and we watched the trees being pulled up at the forest edge.

Taking my hand in his, he smiled sadly. "Stay with Miles, he will keep you safe," he said before dropping my hand and following the temple master into the temple.

Miles stepped closer and wrapped his arm around my waist, holding me close to him. His chin rested on top of my head as his arms tightened around me. I felt safe, but I knew the feeling wouldn't last. "Everyone's gone," I whispered.

"Not me," he said kissing my forehead. "I'm not going anywhere with out you."

"Good to know." He led me back to our seats near one of the trees and I sat down, tossing my long hair back and staring up at the sun.

It would be setting soon, and the warm heat from the day would be gone. Before we were travelling through time, I hated the night. It was quiet and I could hear every bump, every crack. I was always looking around, nervous, waiting for the moment when we were attacked. When we were in Dharmaville, however, I loved to walk the town at night. A cool breeze would blow and I would smile as I inhaled deeply. Sometimes Miles was with me, others I was by myself, but I was happy.

"Hey, I'll be back. I'm going to try to find something to do around this place. There's bound to be… something." He kissed my forehead and headed off, leaving me alone under the tree.

I settled in, and looked around the courtyard. I was reminded of one time I sat in the caves, watched my fellow survivors go about their daily business. One day stuck in my mind, the day Michael brought up the idea for a raft. Shannon and Sayid had been talking to Jack about Rousseau's maps and Boone had been out hunting with Locke. He had come back around lunch time and then went back out, but not until after he walked me back to our tent.

Happily lost in my memory, I barely noticed when Miles sat back down near me, a deck of playing cards in his hand. "You look lost in thought," he said, setting up the cards for a game of solitaire.

"I was just remembering."

"Oh? Anything with me?" He looked up with a mischievous smirk on his face and I was suddenly sad that I wasn't thinking about him.

"A few things," I lied, forcing what I hoped was a genuine smile. "Mostly about how drop dead gorgeous you are when you play cards." Okay, so that was a bit over the top, but it did wipe the smirk off his face, replacing it with a large grin.

He winked at me, spreading the cards out. My heart skipped a beat as I watched him, and I knew I loved him. I was allowed to think about Boone even if I loved Miles. Boone was my first love and Miles was my current one. Both held specialplaces in my heart.

The door opening jerked me from my reverie and I looked up, loudly sighing as I saw who it was. I looked behind her, hoping to find James… but no luck. Kate was alone. "What are you sighing for?" Miles glanced at me before following my gaze towards the door. "Wow," he said when she walked up to us, dropping her pack on the ground.

"It's good to see you too, Miles."

"Hey, Kate." I wanted to ask where James was, but I knew better. If I keep my mouth shut long enough, she'd tell us.

"Sawyer sent you packing, huh?" Kate looked up in alarm and I knew he hit the nail on the head. "I thought about going after him too, but I knew he'd just end up berating me until I turned around and came back. That pretty much what happened?"

She smiled and took a sip of her water bottle, a small smile playing on her lips."Pretty much."

"Well, welcome back to the circus."

"What's going on in here?"

I laughed softly and promptly received a quick glare from Kate. "Sayid, Jack and Hurley are gone," I answered.

"Oh, and that Australian chick is back, the one with the baby," Miles added, catching Kate's attention. She knelt down in front of us, listening intently.

"Claire?"

I nodded. "Yeah. She just strolled in here a couple hours ago, acting all weird. Still hot though."

Rolling my eyes, I smacked his shoulder, hard. "I'm sitting right here."

"Miles, where is she? Where is she?" Kate looked from Miles to me and back again, neither of us had an answer. "I need to find her." She hoisted the pack onto her shoulders and headed into the temple.

"Well, now what?" I asked, looking over at him.

He sighed, watching Kate's retreating form. "Now we wait, again."

"I'm tired of waiting," I pouted, watching him deal out the cards again. "You're awful at that game."

"No one asked you."

We bickered back and forth and it was nice to have these familiar arguments. We used to joke and laugh; it was one of my favorite things about our relationship. But since _they_ came back, the joking had stopped. We had to concentrate on not dying or killing each other.

I wanted to hug him and tell him I loved him, but now was not the time. There would be time for that later, when we were safe again. But the question was, would we ever be safe? Could we ever go back to our lives? And furthermore, what were our lives? We lived in Dharmaville for three years, was that our home? I'd come to consider it as such, fully realizing that we would never make it back to our homes, to our time. "I love you," I blurted, with barely a thought. Miles looked up in alarm, obviously surprised by my outburst. "I just… I don't know when I'll be able to say it again and I wanted to make sure you knew." I knew I was rambling and that my cheeks were blushing bright pink, but I didn't care.

"Well, I love you, too," he replied, a small smile crossing his lips. "Now stop being all lovey-dovey. It's nauseating."

He went back to his game of solitaire and I resumed people-watching. That was it, the end of our short conversation. We had a mutual agreement not to discuss our relationship, especially after our… rather my fight regarding it over a year ago.

People-watching certainly was an interesting pastime, especially once a large crowd entered our small courtyard. I sat up and looked on intently; trying to listen in to the different conversations and catch the drift of what was happening. They gathered bags and food, water bottles and their children and raced into the temple. "Everybody calm down! Hang on," the Lennon man yelled, wandering through the crowd. I heard his voice, but I couldn't find him.

I looked up, trying to see him through the people, but no luck. "Miles," I said softly, meeting his worried eyes. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. Stay here." He dropped his cards onto the table and headed off into the crowd.

Without anything to do to keep my mind occupied, I gathered up his cards and dealt my own game of solitaire. Unfortunately, there was so much going on in the courtyard and surrounding area that the game couldn't hold my attention for long. After laying a few cards down in their rightful place, I looked up at the now-setting sun. It would be dark soon.

"Miles!" I threw down the cards, happy to see him. "What's going on?"

"Your brother's back and apparently we're all going to die if we stay here."

"What?" I breathed, my mouth hanging open for a moment. "What do you mean 'we're all going to die'?"

"Sayid just told everyone that if they don't leave the temple by Sundown, they're going to die."

I looked around wildly, trying to find someone: Jack, Kate, or Hurley, anyone that I knew. "Are we leaving? Should we leave?"

"Give me a moment to think." He paced the area in front of me, gnawing on his knuckle.

"We need to go," I said softly, still watching the people head into the temple. "We should go." The crowd of people moving towards the exit was enough to motivate me, but apparently not Miles.

The sky grew dark quickly as the rain began to fall.I moved to stand close to Miles, hoping that we would be safe. It wasn't a heavy rain, but my hair was still soaked within seconds. Reaching up, I pulled it back into a ponytail with an elastic band from my wrist.

Sayid's warning was scaring me; hell, the entire situation scared me. People walked around on edge, weapons held and ready to shoot without warning. Others headed towards the exits and I knew we should go with ' arm wrapped around me and held me close, giving me some semblance of comfort in this stressful time.

A creaking sounded through the forest and we both jumped up. I spun around, finding Kate just a few feet away. The Others looked towards the door and I followed their gaze, my heart pounding in my chest.

A whistle blew, I really couldn't describe it as anything else, and I jumped at least a foot in the air. Reaching behind me, I took Miles' hand tightly in mine and watched Kate run up to us. "We need to go. Now."

Someone started pulling down a door and in a split second,everyone was running. I froze as a black pillar of smoke blew through the nearly drawn door and picked up an old man, dragging him towards the wreckage of the door. "Run. Run!" Kate yelled, pushing us back.

"What's going on?" I asked, struggling to run with him. We followed Kate as she ran through the courtyard, running passed people and trying to out run the black smoke. All around us, people were lifted from the ground and smashed into walls. People screamed and all I wanted to do was join them. The smoke was what killed the freighter mercenaries; Ben had called it when we were living in the Barracks before the time travelling. We ran from it then, and we were running again now.

"Kalie! Come on." Miles held tight to my hand and dragged me through the courtyard.

We ran, as fast as we could. My heart pounded in my chest and I gasped for air. All around us, people were running or being pulled by the smoke. "This way!" Miles pulled me towards a corridor, but Kate went the opposite direction.

"No, I need to get Claire!" Kate yelled and I stopped, wondering if I should force her to come or not. Claire was my best friend before, but she'd changed. Was it worth saving her now?

"Damnit, come on!" He yanked my hand and I was pulled with him, Kate forgotten. We raced through the corridors, pausing for a moment before creeping around and into an open room. I leaned against a wall, trying to get my heart to slow its pounding while he leaned against the door. Struggling to take a breath, I closed my eyes and forced slow, deep breaths. Now was not the time to have an anxiety attack.

Someone or something banged against the door and I met Miles' eyes, knowing mine echoed the same fear. The pounding grew louder and I knew he couldn't hold it for much longer. I quickly moved next to him, putting all my weight into holding the door shut. We pushed, but the door flew open and Miles flew to the floor. I stumbled before dropping to his side and looking up at the new person. "Where is Shephard and Reyes? And Ford?" The woman asked, her rifle held close to her chest.

"Who the hell are you?" Miles helped me to my feet.

"Just answer the question."

"They're gone. Everyone's gone; it's just us. Lapidus?"T wo more people entered the room and my eyes widened in shock. "How did you…?" Ben Linus and another man stood with us in the small room. Kate and James must have saved Ben in 1977 if he was alive now in… whenever we were.

"Later. If you want to live, you better move your ass,"Lapidus said, obviously out of breath like the rest of us.

"Jarrah, is he here?"

I looked at Miles, unable to speak."Yeah, he was in the pool room."

"I'll go get him,"Ben said before he turned and left the room.

"Linus, wait!"The woman exclaimed before shaking her head,"the rest of you with me."

I looked at the new man, Lapidus, Miles had called him. How did I know him? He looked so familiar, but I couldn't place from where. "All right, the rest of you with me. Come on," the woman said and headed out the door, her rifle on her shoulder.

And then we were off again, racing through the temple. People were still screaming, men and woman, and I shivered at the thought. The new woman was in the lead followed closely by the man in the pilot's shirt. I was in the middle with Miles and Sun behind me. Where she had come from, I wasn't sure, but I was certainly glad to see another familiar face.

"You can hear that, right?" The pilot asked, referring to the screaming. The woman scanned the wall which I now noticed were covered in hieroglyphics. How old was the temple? "You got a plan or you gonna continue staring at the wall?"

"Yes I have a plan," she said, pushing in a stone on the wall. A door appeared a few feet away and she shouldered her rifle, pushing in the door. "Everybody inside now."

We hesitated for a moment, but the pilot quickly went first, stepping through the door. Sun went next and I felt Miles' hand on my back, gently pushing me through the opening. The strange woman entered last, pushing the door back into place. I felt a sudden whoosh of air as the door clicked in place.

And now we were leaving the only last safe place on the island, or so the Others wanted us to believe. I'm as lost and confused as everyone else. Can I go home now? Please?

* * *

**AN: Okay, so I managed to get this out today. The finale yesterday was... indescribable. I'm not thrilled with the explanation for the Flash-Sideways, but I at least now know where it's headed and how I can incorporate that into my story. I was literally giggly last night as I was watching it and I figured out where Kalie fit in. If you want to discuss it, by all means get in touch w/ me via Twitter, LJ or here... I'll be happy to talk about the finale!**

**Thanks to LuliCullen, the_werewolf_gal, JacDanvers, CieuxBlues, hodhod2011danger, CaptJessicaSparrow and PaperBooksInk for reviewing the previous chapter. You're wonderful!**

**I'm still in shock over last night and the fact that it's over. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I heart you all!**


	18. Return to the Beach

**Chapter 18: Return to the Beach, Day 7-8 **

The strange woman led us through the secret passage in the temple and outside. "I'm sorry, but who are you?" I asked once we had reached the trees.

She turned around, glancing my way before continuing forward. "I am Illana. I was sent here to protect you. Now we must move, quickly."

I had no idea where we were going, and I wasn't confident Illana knew either. She led the way and I stayed towards the middle, not sure if I wanted to walk closer to Miles or Sun. I was more comfortable around Miles, but Sun I'd known longer, if only by a few months. Sure, I hadn't spoken to her in three years…

I heard a rifle cock and then Sun call out. I turned, looking to see what was behind me. Ben Linus had emerged from the trees and had nearly collapsed onto the ground. "Where's Jarrah?" Illana asked, ignoring Ben's panting. I glanced into thedarkness behind Ben, hoping to see Sayid emerge or maybe Hurley and Jack.

"I'm fine," he said breathlessly**. **"Thank you."

"Where is he?"

"Considering he just killed Dogen, I don't think he's going to be joining us." I gasped, my hands flying to my mouth. That man was not my brother. My brother was so upset after torturing James after we first crashed, he left and ventured into the jungle alone. My brother did not attempt to kill children and actually kill someone who was supposedly trying to protect us. He'd changed and I wasn't sure how to react to that. "Sayid killed the interpreter, too."

"Are you sure?"

"He was standing over their bodies with a bloody dagger, so yeah, I'm sure."

Everyone was speaking so fast, my brain was going into overload. I'd had an art teacher one time tell me that her brain was like a computer and if you try to put to much information in, it overloads and takes a while to reboot. My mind was doing that now, attempting to reboot while everyone else was still talking about me. "Kay," Miles said, slipping his hand into mine. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" I asked idiotically, scanning the trees nervously. I kept waiting for someone to jump out and attack us.

"Weren't you listening? We're going back to the beach." I couldn't help it, I started laughing. "Why are you laughing?" I struggled to stop, but the more I tried, the more I laughed. I was quiet and in the blink of an eye, tears poured out of my eyes and I sobbed rather than laughed. "Kay? Are you all right?" Illana shot me a glare and I struggled to control myself. My heart was pounding and my breath coming quicker. I couldn't have an anxiety attack right now, Illana might leave me behind.

Squeezing his hand, I took deep breaths, in through my nose and out through my mouth. Slowly, my breathing returned to normal and my heart slowed.I shook my head, but in the dim light I doubted he could see it. "Sayid killed two people, after he tried to kill little Ben. We're going back to the beach… it just feels like everything is crashing down again."

"I hate to break it to you, but everything already crashed down." He squeezed my hand lightly before kissing my knuckles. "We can't get much lower than we are now."

Rolling my eyes, I held his hand tightly and continued walking,stepping over rocks, roots and clumps of dirt. Of course, I tripped several times and had to be helped up. The whole 'walking in darkness' thing had gotten old. When was the sun going to come up?

I struggled to stay close to Miles for two reasons. One, I knew him better than anyone else in our little group and two, he had a torch. "How about you tell me what that thing back there was?"Miles asked Ben after we had been walking for at least thirty minutes.

"That thing's what killed her friends back at the statue,"Ben answered and I nearly stopped on the trail. What statue? The one we saw when we were flashing? It was just a foot now, wasn't it? I hadn't been around to that side of the island much, not since we left Locke at the well.

"And Jacob right?"Illana turned to us and we all stopped, waiting for Ben's answer."It killed Jacob too."

Ben nodded, almost bowing to Illana. "Yeah, of course, and Jacob."

She closed the small space between them."Of course?" Turning, she looked over at Miles. "You're Miles right? Miles Straume? You communicate with the dead."

How did she know that? I stood next to him, curious. "Not technically. I can tell you how someone died, pick up their last thoughts before they check out, but I need to be near their bodies."

"This is what's left of Jacob's body." She pulled a small bag from her pocket and handed it to Miles. "So tell me Miles, how did he die?"

After handing me the torch, he knelt down in the dirt. I stepped to the side and watched him carefully. Even after seeing him do this with Juliet's body, I was still amazed. His eyes closed and he held the bag loosely in his hands. He moved his head back and forth, before jerking back and opening his eyes.

Standing up, he turned to Illana and handed her the bag. "Linus killed him," he said, his voice hoarse.

I turned quickly, my jaw falling open as I stared at Ben. "What? That's not true," Ben said looking from Miles to Illana.

"Are you sure?"

"Well, he was standing over Jacob's body with a bloody dagger, so yeah I'm pretty sure," Miles said, echoing Ben's words from not thirty minutes before.

She nodded. "Thank you. Jacob was the closest thing I had to a father," she said before turning and leading the group through the trees once more.

I handed Miles the torch and started walking up with Sun and the pilot. "Uh oh,"I heard Miles say to Benin his trademark sarcastic tone.

I was sure that the name Jacob should mean more to me, but at the moment I couldn't think why. Ben killed someone and I wasn't the least bit surprised. I had heard rumors before the time flashes, but nothing that I was certain of. Now I knew.

Illana led the group followed by Sun and me. I wanted to say something to her, but I wasn't sure what. Sun and I had never been close, but we talked and I had gotten to know Jin rather well. And she was with me when and immediately after Boone died.

But I didn't know what to say. Rather than embarrass myself, I stayed quiet as we walked. We walked all though the night, silently. No one said a word and the only sounds echoing through the jungle were the sticks cracking beneath our feet. I felt a quick tap on my shoulder and my heart jumped in my chest. "What the…?" I said loudly, spinning in the dark, my heart pounding.

"Shh," Miles whispered. "Don't yell." He placed his hand on my lower back, leading me through the trees. "Are you okay?"

"What do you think? I'm traipsing through the jungle to the beach, again, and this time it's with a murderer. I've already had one anxiety attack and probably leading up to another."

His hand moved from my back and down to my hand, interlocking his fingers with mine. "I'll keep you safe," he said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes, but held tightly to his hand. I was scared that he would pull away. After he told James what Juliet had been thinking, he withdrew from me, spending the short time alone. "Are you okay? Last time you did that, you didn't want to be near me."

He hesitated before letting out a small sigh**. **"Yeah, I'm fine. That was different. I knew her… we both did. It's different when you know the person, almost…" he trailed off and I squeezed his hand lightly. "Almost like an invasion of privacy."

I nodded, but knew he probably couldn't see in the near darkness. "I'm sorry."

Miles brought my hand to his lips and gently kissed it. "Let's just worry about getting to the beach."

The sun came up over the horizon a few hours later, sending light through the trees and onto the dirt beneath our feet. I felt instantly warm when the sun's rays landed on arms and shoulders. A small smile crossed my face and I took a deep breath, inhaling the damp air. The sun was up, we were safe. Sunlight always helped me to clear away the monsters.

When we broke through the trees a short while later, we stepped directly into our old camp. I looked around, a feeling of nostalgia coming over me as I looked at the remnants of our tents. It looked like it had the last time we had been here during the time flashes, whenever that had been. I found myself happy to arrive at the old camp, even if it wasn't home any longer. The feeling of safety and security was still there, even after all this time.

I scanned the camp, noting what I could take and use to make a shelter. Mine was nearly torn down and who knew how long we were going to be staying here."I'm gonna look for some tools, and get started on a shelter. Therest of you, see what food's left. And maybe get a fire going."

"Yeah, 'cause a fire will fix everything," Miles said sarcastically and I couldn't hold back the glare. The fire would serve two purposes: one to keep warm once the sun fell and two for mental safety. A fire would help keep my fears away, and probably everyone else's as well, even if they didn't want to admit it.

Ignoring his attitude, I headed towards the trees, trying to locate the fruit trees we had harvested so long ago. All I managed was a few mangos and a bunch of bananas, and I carried them back to our group. "Hey, I'll take one of those," the pilot said, Lapidus I think his name was.

I tossed him a mango and sat in the sand. "Do you need any help?"

"Yeah, if you can gather some firewood." He wiped the mango off with his shirt and took a bite. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Frank Lapidus." He held out his hand and I took it, shaking lightly.

"Kalie Carlyle… Walker," I corrected with a deep breath. "I was on the first plane with Sun. I'll go get some wood."

Standing up, I headed back towards the trees and began searching for large sticks and other wooden objects I could drag back with me. I held the sticks tight in my arms and dragged a larger one behind me. This was bringing back way too many memories, most of which I hoped I had forgotten. I smiled as I remembered back to when we first crashed here. Sayid built a huge signal fire and the majority of us collected wood to help fuel it. I missed those days.

When I returned to the beach, everyone was doing their own thing. "Where have you been?" Miles asked, standing up and walking towards me.

"Finding wood. I've done this before, remember?" Brushing past him, I added the wood to the already large pile.

Rather than wait around for any other comments, I walked up the beach to where Sun was sitting. "Do you know when we are?" I asked Sun when I reached her. "What year, I mean."

"It is 2007. Why?"

I nodded. It had been three years here as well. "We were in 1977," I said softly. "I'll be back."

If it was 2007, then his grave would still be here. Three years had passed since we crashed here. I was supposed to graduate college in 2007 and find a job. How old would Ashton be? I quickly did the math, counting on my fingers… seventeen. He'd be seventeen and getting ready to graduate high school.

When I reached the top of the hill, I looked around, almost surprised to find the graves. All the times I had wanted to visit this place, now here I was. Without even thinking, I remembered which of our friends was in what grave. Steve was in the far corner, Shannon near the fallen log with Boone next to her, Libby, Ana Lucia and Mr. Eko on the other side.

Ben was knee-deep in a hole and he was digging. Dirt flew in clumps off to the side and I couldn't help but wonder what he was digging a hole for. Had we lost someone else? Illana raised her rifle, pointing it in my direction. I froze, startled for a moment.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, pointing her rifle at the ground.

"Visiting," I said softly, gesturing towards the graves. "They were my friends."

She nodded and I crossed the short distance to Boone's grave. I sat in the fresh grass and looked around. It had changed so much in the short time; grass now covered all the graves. It was still peaceful; I could just barely hear the waves crashing in the background. The leaves rustled on the trees and birds sang in the distance. It really was peaceful.

I wanted to talk to the cross, but not with Ben or Illana here, so I settled for thinking the words in my head. _I missed you. It's been three years since I've been back here, and I was happy for nearly all three of them. I found someone. His name is Miles and he can be sweet at times, but mostly he's an ass. Basically, he's the complete opposite of you. _

A warm breeze blew through the cemetery and I thought I caught a whiff of his scent, musky and warm. It'd been three years, damnit Kalie, don't do this._I've been in the 1970's for three years and you wouldn't believe half of what happened to me. I still wear your necklace, though I've had to replace the cord, it broke almost two years ago, and I think about you every other day. It's not as strong as three years ago, but I still miss you. I can barely remember what you looked like anymore and it hurts._

_When I realized where we were…when we were, I had to come see you, even though I don't need to. It's been three years and while I still miss you, I've moved on. I don't wonder what my life would be life if you were still here. Miles took care of me, I'm sure you'd be happy. _

_I've given up hoping for rescue. Now I'm just concentrating on surviving. I probably won't be back any more, who knows where we're going next? But I wanted to say good-bye. You were my first love and you'll always hold a special place in my heart._

"Love you," I whispered as I stood up. Kissing my fingertips, I gently laid them on the cross before walking away.

Ben was still digging away when I left and I headed toward the beach. I walked passed Miles and ignored his call of hello. I didn't want to talk to him right now, not after talking to Boone's cross. I trudged through the sand and up to my old tent, picking up the tarp. It was full of holes, frayed and ripped, but it could be salvaged. Inside were my violin and a small pile of clothes. I was impressed they were still here, after who knew how many years. Surprisingly enough, I barely cared about the violin right now. Before, it had meant so much to me when Charlie found it. Now, it was just another object from my past. It almost held no meaning.

"Searching through other people's things again?"

I looked up and glanced over my shoulder, forcing a smile as I met Miles' eyes. "These are my things. My violin, my clothes…" I trailed off, leaning back on my heels. "We used to live here."

"Yeah, you mentioned that fact a few years ago. I was even here for a short while. Remember, I got scolded by that woman right over there for eating the peanuts." He pointed towards where our pantry used to be, the food long gone. I smiled, remembering that day. Where was Rose now? Had they moved through time with us again?

Looking back down, I continued sorting through the belongings. Everything was here, just as I left it when we flashed. I changed tops, picking up an old yellow tank top and pulling it over my head. Rocking back on my heels, I tried to ignore the feeling of his eyes on my back.

"Why are you angry with me?" His voice wasn't harsh like I expected it to be, but almost sad.

"I'm angry with you, at least not too much," I whispered softly. "I'm just… upset. I thought we were gone from here. I didn't want to come back. You know, I almost believed Jack. I wanted to think that if Jack set off that bomb, we wouldn't be here anymore."

"Did you want to forget me?"

His voice sounded like he already knew the answer, but needed the confirmation. I didn't even know the answer."I don't know." I turned and sat in the sand, staring out at the ocean. "I wanted to be away from here."

"Which meant forgetting me if Jack's plan had worked." It wasn't a question, just a statement. He was right though; I was very close to wanting to forget him. Well, it wasn't that I wanted to forget him; I just wanted to forget the whole situation. I wanted to be back home with my Dad and brother, never having met half the people I did.

"I didn't want to," I whispered, glancing up at him. "I just… there's been so much pain, so much hurt. I want it all to go away."

"What about the good times? What about all the fun we've had? What about our first date? Remember Christmas and the mistletoe? How about your birthday?"

I nodded, knowing he was right. The good times should outweigh the bad. Sitting down, he reached out and took my hand in his. "So, that brings us back to my original question, why are you angry with me?"

I looked away, pulling my hand from his. I shouldn't snap and there was no reason for why I gave the answer I did. "Because you're an ass. You make sarcastic comments with complete disregard for people's feelings. You don't care about anyone but yourself and don't even lie to me. I feel like… I don't even know."

"You've known that for three years now. And besides, last I checked, I cared about you too, and that's more than just me."

"Well maybe I didn't realize how much your sarcasm bothered me until now."

He dropped my hand and turned in the sand, staring at me. "You're not doing this again, are you? Where you decide you want to break-up with me and then change your mind a few months later? Well get this straight: I'm not sticking around long enough to find out. You say so this time and I'm done, there's no coming back."

I looked up, slightly shocked he would mention it. We hadn't spoken about the break-up since we got back together and it had become an unspoken rule between us. Now, he was talking about it as if it meant nothing. Did our relationship mean nothing to him? "No… I just… Miles, you can be such an ass."

"That's just part of my charm."

Biting my lip, I fell silent."I… Everything we knew is over. We were happy and safe… and now we're not. We're running through the jungle again, chasing after things we can't see and don't understand. For three years we were done with this, but now…" I trailed off and shrugged my shoulders.

"Now we're back to square one."

"And you don't even know the half of it. You didn't deal with all this the first time. You only came in towards the end when things were settled. We went back and forth, from the beach to the caves, from the caves to the beach, then to the Swan hatch and then the beach, then Dharmaville and the beach. I never want to see a beach again. When we get home, I'm hiding in the middle of the country; Oklahoma sounds like a good idea or maybe South Dakota."

Miles laughed and shifted in the sand next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "We'll go as far from the ocean as you want, I promise."

"Will you come with me?" I asked timidly, hoping and praying he'd say yes.

"Yeah, I'll come with you. I've got some money saved up and once you finish college we'll be set."

"That'll be nice," I whispered, leaning into him. The feeling of his arm around me was wonderful and safe. How could I ever want to give this up?

We sat in the sand in silence, just holding on to each other. He was warm, loving and I felt safe. It was like nothing could hurt me with him by my side. "Come on, let's head up the beach." Standing up, he helped me stand and hand-in-hand, we walked up the beach to our tents.

I sat outside mine with my journal, staring down at the final blank pages. I'd scrimped and saved, trying to make the journal last as long as it could, but here I was. There were five pages left and at the moment I had no hope for finding a new notebook.

This small notebook had travelled a long way. I bought it at the airport in Sydney and it had travelled to the island, into the past and now back to the present. It held a lot of memories, both happy and sad. There were pictures, all from the 1970's and it was the only proof I had lived through everything. It was my best friend, my confidant, and now it was almost time to part.

I glanced up the beach towards the tree line. Miles was sitting by one tent up the beach, Sun and Ben were fixing a tarp on hers, Illana was crying to the side of me and Frank was somewhere else. We were silent, listening to the ocean crash against the shore. I shivered and pulled a sweatshirt from inside the tent. The sleeves were too big, and I couldn't even remember how I had acquired it, but it would keep me warm at least for the time being.

I caught something out of the corner of my eye and when I turned, I saw Hurley, Jack and Richard walking towards us. Sun was running towards them and Illana followed. Miles and Frank walked slowly but also towards our new guests, only Ben stood off to the side. I stood slowly and made my way across the sand. I hadn't seen Jack and Hurley since the Temple, and Richard in nearly thirty years.

Everyone was talking and laughing. Hurley hugged me tightly; I ignored Jack and stayed clear of Richard. He gave me strange looks, but I avoided him. Maybe while we were all stranded in one place, I'd be able to talk to him. I was curious about what Ben had said all those years ago and I wanted to know what the real story actually was. However, now that Jack was back, we would end up on some suicide mission and I wouldn't have the chance. That's just how my life seemed to work around him.

My only hope was that maybe Richard had a clue on what we were supposed to be doing seeing as how Illana didn't seem to. We could only hope.

* * *

**AN: We're over halfway finished, and I'm finding that I don't want it to be over. Once this is complete, I think I'll be lost. Thanks to: hodhod2011danger, Frampton, AngelwithDirty Thoughts, JacDanvers, CaptJessicaSparrow, LuliCullen, Maigu, panizagloba, PaperBooksInk and tntlostfan for reviewing the previous chapter. And thanks to everyone who has added this to a favorite or alert list. You're all wonderful!**


	19. Candidates

**Chapter 19: Candidates Day 8-9**

Later that night, after everyone had settled in and had taken a moment to get reacquainted, we sat huddled around a campfire. I had stayed away from the group as a whole, not wanting to get involved. Granted, I wouldn't be ignorant for long, but I could enjoy it while it lasted. It was easier to not talk to people.

Miles wouldn't let me hide by myself for long and he dragged me over to the fire, sitting me down next to him. I wrapped my arms around my waist and watched. It wasn't that I wanted to be anti-social; I just didn't watch to be near them. The only person I was actually happy to see was Hurley. He always knew how to cheer a person up, even if he had no idea he was doing it.

Illana and Sun were explaining why Illana was here, why everyone was here. Well, everyone except Miles, Frank and me. "Candidates? Candidates for what?" Jack asked and judging by the look on everyone's face, it was the same question we all had.

"To replace Jacob," Sun answered. How did she know all this? "She said I was one of them. And so are you. And so is Hurley."

"Well that's great. So what do we do now?" Frank asked. I glanced at Illana, waiting for some answer.

"I don't know."

Wonderful. "Then who does?" Jack asked, but Illana had fallen silent.

"I was told to ask Richardus. He would know," she said after a few minutes of silence.

"Who's Richardus?"

Illana turned back to where Richard was standing. "He is. So Richard, what do we do next?"

I turned on my rock, looking back. He was silent for nearly thirty seconds before giggling. He giggled. It sounded so strange coming from his mouth that my jaw dropped open in surprise. "I…I have no idea what _we_ do next. You didn't tell your friends that I was trying to kill myself when you found me? Does that sound like someone who has a plan?"

"Why would Jacob say you knew what to do if…"

"Because everything he ever said is a lie," Richard interrupted.

Why did the name Jacob sound familiar? Wasn't that who Miles had 'listened' to as we were walking through the jungle? He's the person Ben killed if I remembered correctly. "What are you talking about?" Jack asked.

"Do you want to know a secret, Jack? Something I've known a long, long time?"Richard walked around the circle, coming to a stop in front of Jack. "You're dead."

My heart stopped in my chest for a fraction of a second and my jaw dropped open. What was he talking about? "You mean that figuratively, right?" Hurley asked, his voice only shaking slightly.

"No, I mean literally. We're all dead. Every single on of us. And this," he said, waving his arms around, "this is not what you think it is. We're not on an island, we never were. We're in hell. So I'm not interested in what Jacob said. In fact, maybe it's time we stopped listening to him and we started listening to someone else. And that's exactly what I'm gonna do." He turned, picked up a branch from the fire and headed into the trees.

Everyone was frozen for a moment. The only sounds in our small camp were the waves crashing against the sand, and the fire crackling in front of us. I wasn't sure what to do or where to go.

Could Richard be telling the truth? We were all dead? Was this hell? I'd like to think I lived a pretty good life. What could I have done to wind up in hell?

Besides, why would hell be a tropical island? No, it didn't make sense. Richard must be crazier than I thought, after living here for so many years.

"Kay? Kalie." Miles' voice pulled me from my thoughts and I looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"What? Nothing. I was just thinking." I looked around the campfire; everyone was gone. Standing, I brushed my hands on my pants. "Where did everyone go?"

"Bed," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "Did you really not notice?"

Maturely, I stuck my tongue out at him. "No, I really didn't notice. Guess I should go to bed too." For the first time in three years, I would be sleeping in the tent I built on the beach. I started to walk away, but his hand on my arm stopped me. "What?"

"Come on," he said, slipping his hand into mine.

"Where are we going?" I followed him down the sand towards a tent I didn't remember. He pulled up the tarp and I crawled inside. "You built a tent," I said with a smile.

He had salvaged a tarp from some other tent and propped it up with bamboo. A few airplane cushions made the double bed and my purse was already inside. "I did. Did you really think I was going to let you sleep alone?"

I shrugged, honestly not having thought about sleeping. "I didn't even think about sleeping until just now," I said softly, sitting down on half of the cushions.

Miles crawled inside and lay on the cushions next to me. I stayed sitting up for a minute, unsure if I was comfortable with this. It didn't take long for my exhaustion to override my concern and I lay down. My head rested on his chest as his arms wrapped around my waist. "Do you really think this is hell?" I asked in the near silence of the beach.

"I think eyeliner has lost his mind. He's been here too long. Don't worry about it." He squeezed my shoulder as he fell silent, his hand rubbing circles on my back.

While being near Miles made me feel safe, I hadn't spent many nights sleeping next to him. Sure, we'd start off the night together, but usually one of us would leave before morning. Quite the opposite of my time with Boone. I barely knew him and yet I let him sleep next to me all night, every night.

I listened to the waves crash on the shore. So many nights I had fallen asleep to that sound and it brought back more memories that I wanted. Slowly though, I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, we were hanging around the beach, waiting for Richard to come back. Hurley had disappeared into the jungle looking for him. I wanted to talk to him, Richard, to ask him why he let me go when I was kidnapped by the others, but I was afraid. He disappeared into the jungle with such a maniacal giggle after telling us we were all in hell and dead; it didn't make me too comfortable with the idea. Even after all these years, it still bothered me.

I looked around our camp from my seat in the sand. Illana was cleaning her rifle and scaring me more and more every minute. She looked… so involved in the simple task, it was hard to handle. Hurley had gone after Richard; Jack was walking towards us, Sun was cutting up fruit and Ben was looking around lost and confused. I was watching Frank and Miles' card game, annoyed that I had nothing to do.

After our argument earlier, I'd spent the night carefully thinking about our relationship. I didn't want to mess it up again. This was the second time in two years I'd argued with him about us and the second time that it had ended somewhere near a break up. The first time I knew it was my fault; I overreacted to an already tense situation, but now I wasn't sure. I was probably overreacting again, but he wasn't making things easy.

"Unless Alpert's covered in bacon grease, I don't think Hurley's tracking anything." Miles' voice shook me from my thoughts and I looked up, meeting his eyes for a fraction of a second.

"Hey, don't talk about bacon," Frank added and I wholeheartedly agreed, if only for the reason I didn't want to think of food. We had fruit and fruit, way too reminiscent of our first few months here. I thought when we arrived in Dharmaville I wouldn't have to worry about eating fruit and boar any more.

"If he said Richard knows what to do, then Richard knows what to do." I looked up at Illana, now curious about her conversation with Ben. What if Richard didn't come back? What were we supposed to do then? "He'll come back. And until then, we wait."

I stared up at her, wondering if I should put my hope in what she said. I barely knew her, and if I had learned anything in my escapades on this island, it should be who to trust. The sound of a knife hitting the wooden table shook me from my thoughts and I looked up in time to see Sun walk off down the beach. What happened that I missed? "What'd I miss?" I asked Frank softly, ignoring the eye roll Miles gave me.

"Who knows? She just stormed off." I turned away and looked out towards the water, watching as Jack followed after her. Leave it to Jack to want to solve whatever problem Sun had.

I watched Miles and Frank play another card game, silently wondering what I should do. Rather than stay sitting on the beach watching another boring card game, I stood up and wandered our old camp. I walked past the pantry, wishing for a box of Dharma Cheerios. After spending so much time eating the Dharma food, I actually began to enjoy the generic choices. We had everything from Dharma cereal to beer and everything in between.

Near the pantry were a few tents, though I couldn't remember to whom they belonged. The medical tent was nearby, Jack's supplies nearly buried in sand. One of the last tents I came across had a homemade cradle. "Charlie and Claire," I whispered, a small smile playing on my lips.

Kneeling down, I rocked the cradle slowly, remembering the few times I babysat Aaron. One time Claire was sick and Charlie needed the loo, another was while we were marching through the jungle back to the beach with James and Miles. That was when she disappeared. Why had she gone?

I shifted the blankets, remembering how proud Claire was of the cradle. She helped Locke build it right before Aaron was born.

As I stood, a glint of sunlight sparkled from in the blankets. Curious, I moved them aside, trying to see what had sparkled. It was Charlie's ring, his D.S. ring that was always on his finger. He didn't have it on when he drowned, why? Maybe he had given it to Aaron? None of us had brought him back to the cradle or thought to look.

A wave of sorrow washed through my heart and I felt the tears well in my eyes. Sliding the ring on my middle finger, I stood up and brushed the sand from my pants. "I miss you, Charlie. I miss having you around. Things might have been different if you were still here with us."

I walked away from the cradle and back to the card game. They were still playing, though I couldn't tell who was winning. Still watching them, I pulled my journal from my purse and opened it.

Turning to one of the few blank pages left, I sat to writing, describing what had happened over the past few days. I left out some of the details, including my issue with Sayid. That was something to be discussed later, after I had more details and had spoken to him again, if I ever spoke to him again. He was following Locke, whoever that actually was, and I gathered he wasn't the 'good guy' in our poorly-acted charade.

"Jack?" I looked up to find Ben helping Sun across the sand. He sat her down and we all crowded around, looking to see what happened. "I found her in the jungle when I was looking for mangoes. She hasn't said anything in English."

"Sun? Can you understand me?" Jack knelt down in front of her and checked her eyes."You've got a pretty decent sized bump, could be a concussion. You can understand what I'm saying, but you can only speak Korean." Sun nodded and I couldn't believe how unbelievable this was. She hits her head and can only speak Korean. This kind of thing only happened in movies or on TV.

"She hits her head and forgets English? Are we supposed to buy that?" Miles asked from next to me and I was almost shocked at how close he was to my thoughts. It was strange how he did that.

"Asked the man who communes with the dead," Frank replied and I couldn't help but smile up at him.

"I think it's aphasia. It's a condition that's caused by trauma and affects the language center of the brain. It's temporary. Sun, you're going to be okay."

I looked from Jack to Sun and back again. There once was a time when I actually liked Jack and trusted what he did. Now, I found myself wishing for James. "What are you smiling about?" Confused, I looked up at Miles, wondering who he was talking to.

Everyone's eyes looked behind us and I turned as well, seeing Richard walk across the beach. I couldn't say I was relieved, but now maybe, we would have a plan. "Pack your bags, we're leaving." Richard walked quickly down the beach towards the food table and Jack followed, as usual.

I glanced up at Miles before letting him take my arm and drag me with the rest of our group. All I wanted was to sit and I couldn't even do that."Which is exactly where you landed the plane that you flew back here, right?"

"Right," Frank agreed and I wondered what Richard could mean. What about the plane? There was no way it was flyable, right?

"This…man wants to leave the island and that plane's the only way he can do it. So you want to know where we're going. We're going to stop him."

"This is your fault, isn't it?" Miles asked, looking over at Hurley.

"Sorta."

My arm brushed against Miles' and he glanced at me, his eyes barely meeting mine. Why he was upset with me this time, I wasn't sure. Without being too awkward, I stepped back and turned my full attention back to Richard."We have to destroy it."

Our only way off the island? Sun started rambling in Korean, but no one was around to translate. She was angry though, anyone could tell that in any language. Richard had walked up to her, asking about what Locke said and she exploded, rambling in Korean.

"I don't think she wants to come," Hurley said as Sun walked off.

"Yeah, that's the understatement of a lifetime," I said sarcastically, still eyeing Richard warily.

"All right, get your things. We'll leave in an hour," Richard said and everyone dispersed.

Rather than stick around for too long, I packed the few things I would need in my purse and headed off down the beach. I couldn't take much, but I packed an extra shirt, my journal and a few pieces of fruit. Finding one of the familiar spots in the sand, I sat down and wrapped my arms around my legs, holding them tight to my chest. A cool breeze blew across the sand and I shivered slightly, wondering if I should grab a sweatshirt from my old tent. I'd get up in a minute, now I was too comfortable.

Someone walked up behind me and stood in the sand. I could feel his eyes on my back and knew who it was without even hearing his voice."What's going to happen to us?" I asked, looking out over the water. He hadn't spoken, but I knew who had walked up behind me. No one else would have bothered with me.

"We're going to go hiking through the jungle again, and then decide to come back to the beach. It's fine, it's a routine now. Even eyeliner there has no other plans."

Rolling my eyes, I looked up as he sat down next to me. "No, I'm serious. Richard wants to go stop Locke, and that's fine, but why do we all have to go? We're not on the list of candidates, so why can't we just stay here? I'm tired of hiking through the jungle only to come back to the beach. It got old."

He laughed as he sat next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "Apparently there's something we're needed to do as well, so let's just go with it. These are your friends…"

"They're not my friends. I haven't seen these people in three years. My friends are missing or dead. You are the only one in this group I've spoken to in the past three years or even care to speak to. We don't even know if James and Jin are alive. I miss James, Miles."

"I know," he said, squeezing my shoulder. "We'll find him."

I shook my head and crawled around him so that I was sitting between his legs. I leaned into his chest and shut my eyes as his arms wrapped around me. "I don't know what's going on and it scares me. I haven't been this scared in three years and I don't like it."

He gently kissed my shoulder and I felt myself smile sadly. "We'll get out of this; somehow we always do."

"Why are you being so positive?" I asked, turning around so that I could look him in the eye. "With everyone else you're a negative ass, but with me you play the positive card?"

"What do you want me to say, Kalie? No, we're not going to get out of this. We're all going to die here and it's going to be painful. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"No," I whispered, shaking my head. I looked down, feeling my eyes fill with salty tears once again. Furious, I struggled to blink them away, only to find them sliding down my cheeks and landing on my jeans.

Miles reached out and tilted my chin up so that I was forced to look into his eyes. "Look, no matter what happens we'll get through it. You'll stay safe, I promise."

"I love you," I whispered, meaning it with everything I had.

"I know," he replied with a smirk and a quick kiss.

We sat in silence for another minute, watching the waves crash against the shoreline. For all the stress and issues, this place really was beautiful. "I'm sorry," I whispered, looking down at the sparkling ring on my finger. My birthday present this past year. I had though it was an engagement ring, but it wasn't, thank goodness.

"For what?"

I shrugged, taking a deep breath. "I can't describe it. Because you're a wonderful boyfriend and I can't seem to not screw up. Because whenever we get into a fight, it's always my fault. Because…"

"Stop," he interrupted. He reached out, taking my hand in his. "If you're planning a whole 'feel sorry for yourself' moment, can it. We have enough to worry about without you adding this to the list."

I nodded, furiously blinking back the tears. "I'm sorry I can't stop crying," I said, laughing through my tears.

"Don't worry about come on. Let's see when we're leaving on our hike." He stood up and held out his hand for me to take. Pulling me up, he wrapped his arm around my waist and together, we walked up the sand to where the rest of our group was standing.

* * *

**AN: Sorry this is a day late. I meant to post it yesterday, but I wound up with more things to finish that I thought and ran out of time. Thanks to: hodhod2011danger, PaperBooksInk, the_werewolf_gal, LittleFireQueen, CaptJessicaSparrow, LuliCullen, panizagloba, AngelwithDirtyThoughts and Maiqu for reviewing the previous chapter.**

**Also, tomorrow afternoon sometime, I'll be posting the 1st of my deleted scenes from Dharmaville. They will feature Kalie and Miles. It will most likely be titled _Dharma Stories_, though I'm not certain. **

**Thanks so much for reading, alerting, favoriting and reviewing this story. I never imagined I'd have this many reviewers!**


	20. Explosions

**Chapter 20: Explosions, Day 10**

We were leaving again in a few minutes. Everyone had packed their bags and Illana had gone off to the Black Rock to get some dynamite. They're big plan? Blow up the plane so Locke couldn't fly off the island. What's the problem with this plan, you ask? It also means _we_ couldn't fly off the island. Were we destined to live here forever?

"I'll be right back," I said to Miles, shifting my purse on my shoulder.

"Where are you going?"

I gestured up to the hill, towards the cemetery. "You can come if you want, I don't mind."

He shook his head, "I'll be here when you get back." I figured he wouldn't come, why would he want to? Who in their right mind would want to listen to their girlfriend talk to the grave of their deceased boyfriend?

Dropping my purse near one of the tables**, **I smiled one last time before heading up the hill. This was the last time I would ever come here. Not because I didn't need this any more, which certainly was the truth, but because I had this awful feeling that we were all going to die. If this Locke person wanted to get off the island, killing everyone on it seemed like his best plan. Even though Miles, Frank and I weren't candidates, I didn't think we would be lasting long.

"I still can't get over how pretty it is here," I said softly, sitting down on a fallen log.

"Maybe we'll get off this island now." I laughed bitterly at the thought and rolled my eyes. "There's no way I'm ever getting off this island. It's been three years, and I think I've lost hope.

"I can't help but wonder if things would be different if you were here." Reaching up, I fingered the charm on my necklace that never came off. "I keep thinking that if I get off this bloody rock, maybe I can go on. Maybe Miles and I could be happy, have a family. I wouldn't be constantly thinking about you again.

"I wonder if things would have been different, if you hadn't died. Would we still be together? Would Shannon still be alive? Maybe Locke wouldn't have gone as crazy as he had…"

"It's a beautiful day," a familiar voice said from behind me. No, it couldn't be. Standing up quickly, I turned and looked out towards the trees. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

I was frozen. John Locke was standing in front of me, which should have been impossible. But we were on 'Mystery Frickin' Island', as christened by Shannon. "What do you want?" I managed to ask, my mouth dry. I struggled to swallow, hoping to bring some moisture to my mouth with little success. My heart pounded in my chest and I wondered if I ran, would I make it far?

"Just to talk. Do you have a minute?" I glanced over at the smoke cloud from our camp before looking back at Locke. Nodding, I knelt back down beside Boone's grave. "Good. I won't take up much of your time."

"What do you need to talk about?"

He stood in front of me, one hand holding onto the strap of his backpack. "You still miss him," he said, nodding towards the cross that marked Boone's grave.

"I've always missed him, ever since the moment he died."

"I am sorry about that, his dying."

"No matter," I said with a shrug that showed more ease than I felt. In truth, my heart was pounding in my chest. "It wasn't your fault. You're not John Locke."

The man who was not Locke stared at me with an indescribable reaction for a fraction of a second before smiling. "Fair enough." He dropped his pack to the ground and sat on a nearby log. "I'm gathering some people and we're going to leave the island. Would you like to join us? You could leave here and not come back. You wouldn't have to worry about Boone."

I bit my lip. It was a tempting offer. There was nothing I wanted more than to leave this place and never come back. It's all I had prayed for over the past three years, including my time in Dharmaville.

Locke stood up and walked towards me, holding out his hand. "Come with me."

Looking from his hand up to his face, I shook my head. "No, thank you." I rose, brushing the dirt from my pants and headed away from the cemetery. "I don't want to go anywhere with you."

Quietly, I walked away from him, forcing myself to continue looking forward and not glance back at him. If I did look back, I knew I'd be terrified. Right now I was fine; I knew I could make it back to where the group was without having another run in with him.

I broke through the trees and walked down the sand, smiling slightly when I saw Miles. "Are you okay?" Miles asked, walking up to me. He put his hand on the small of my back and led me back to our group. "Kay, you're shaking."

"I'm fine,"I whispered, still forcing my eyes to stay forward.

When we were finally back at the camp, I permitted myself to look back. Locke wasn't anywhere that I could see him and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I was safe and Locke wouldn't get me, right? Miles would protect me from the 'boogie-man' in the jungle. I giggled at the thought and Miles glanced at me with a quizzical look. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing," I said with a smile. I let Miles lead me to where I had dropped my purse earlier. We sat in the sand, waiting for Illana to return with the dynamite. Their brilliant plan to destroy the plane was about to start.

"Let's go," Illana said when she returned. "We have to make it to the outriggers and across the channel to Hydra Island before nightfall."

After a shared glance with Miles, I stood up and hoisted my purse onto my shoulders. We made our way across the sand to where Illana and Richard were standing. "Umm, I don't know if that's a good idea," Hurley said, walking up to us. "I mean, for one thing that stuff's really unstable."

I shivered with the memory of hearing about Dr. Arzt on the first expedition to the Black Rock. He was holding the dynamite and it went off. I really didn't want to be standing near Illana at the moment. If three more years had passed since the last excursion to the _Black Rock_, that dynamite was more unstable than before. "You have to trust me," she said as she took a few steps towards Hurley. "I've been training my whole life for this."

"To blow stuff up?"

"To protect you."

"Yeah, but how's blowing up the plane protecting us?" Hurley had a fair point and I was certainly confused on the logistics of the plan, but I opted to keep my mouth closed. I'd learned to do that quite a bit in the past three years.

"With the plane gone, that thing won't be able to leave the island." Illana walked over to the small pile of water bottles and bent down, picking them up.

"Yeah well, neither will we and then we'll be stuck here with it. And it'll be angry at us."

I watched her open the flap on her bag, the same bag that held the dynamite. She placed several water bottles on top of the explosives and my heart skipped a beat. I took Miles' hand and stepped back a few steps, pulling him with me. He looked at me with a questioning look, but stepped back just the same. I knew the dynamite was unstable, but maybe she knew more than I did. All knowledge aside, I still didn't want to be near her while she was holding it. "Jacob said Richard would know what to do. And Richard said blow up the plane, correct?"

"Yes," Richard said with a sigh.

"Well, Jacob never said anything about it to me. I mean, what if Richard's wrong?"

"Hugo, I'm looking out for your best interest, all of you. Nothing is more important than this. That thing is evil and God help us if it ever leaves this island." She placed one more water bottles on top and pulled the bag from her shoulder, dropping it on the ground.

Was no one else worried about…?

The explosion threw me back and I fell to the ground with a pile of sand. A plume of flames was now where Illana had just stood. I was in shock. She was just talking to us and now she was gone, vaporized into small pieces that were indistinguishable from the sand.

I sat up, staring at the plume of fire. No one spoke for a moment, we just stared. There were no words to describe what just happened. The flames died down, but no one moved, except to sit up and stare at the fire.

After what felt like forever, Richard stood up and walked over to one of the tables. Ben and Lapidus followed, while Jack went to one of the tents. I stayed in the sand, moving to a sitting position, my legs crossed like a pretzel.

"Now what?"Ben asked as Richard emptied the contents of a bag**. **

"We get more dynamite or else she died for nothing."

"Maybe she died to show us to stay the hell away from the dynamite," Jack said and for the first time in months… years, I agreed with him. We had no business being near the dynamite, especially after that.

"Well, Jack, that's a risk I'm willing to take."

Jack walked over and stood in front of Richard. "Richard, I promised Sun I'd get her off this island."

"Well Jack, I really wish you hadn't done that. If it makes you feel any better, you can blame it on me."

Absentmindedly, I scratched at a bite on my ankle. I definitely didn't miss the sandfleas while we were in Dharmaville. "I think Richard's right," Hurley interjected, crossing the sand."It's the only choice we've got. Trust me, Jack."

I looked from Hurley to Jack and back again. It seemed like what Miles said was true, Hurley had taken over a leadership role."Okay."

"Good, let's get moving,"Richard said, picking up his now empty pack.

Miles tossed me my purse and held out a hand. I let him pull me up, but held on to his hand. Illana's sudden death had me spooked, maybe because it was so close to me. Aside from the shootings at the Barracks, the closest I'd been to death was Boone. It wasn't as quick as Illana's, but slow and very painful. Both left what was mostly a lasting memory in my mind.

"Are you okay?" Miles asked, looking over at me with a concerned look. "You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," I whispered again, pulling my hand from his. Well that was a lie. I was not fine, not by a long shot. My hands were shaking so much that I could do nothing with them but keep them clasped in front of me or hold on to my purse string. I felt like I was going to be sick, but again, now was not the time. I let him lead me into the trees and behind Richard.

We trekked in near silence. I could hear Ben talking to Jack behind me, but I wasn't interested in what he was saying. All I concentrated on was the feel of Miles' hand in mine and the smell of the trees. In my mind, I pushed Illana's death aside to be dealt with later. Now was not the time.

My jaw dropped open as we entered a clearing. In the trees was a large wooden ship, the _Black Rock_. It was awe-inspiring. How this ship was here, in the middle of the jungle, was incomprehensible."Now, this might take a few minutes. I don't want anyone but me handling the dynamite. So I'm gonna go in alone." He paused, scanning our small group. "Where's Hugo?"

I looked around. Hurley was no where to be found. Where did he disappear to? "I thought he was up front with you?"

"Run," Hurley yelled. I looked up and he was running towards us from the ship. "Run! Go! Go! Go! Go!"

Another explosion blew me backward. Shards and planks of wood came flying at us, sending splinters. I covered my face with my hands and screamed.

"Why the hell did you do that?" I heard Richard yell. Opening my eyes, I looked around. Everyone had stood up and walked toward Hurley.

"I'm protecting us."

I stood and joined the group, my heart still pounding in my chest. It was silent for a moment and I took that moment to sit on the ground and stop my hands from shaking. Two explosions in just a couple hours was not good for me. "Why the hell would you do that?" Richard was yelling again and oh, surprise, Jack was trying to bring order.

"Calm down."

"Now what? Now what the hell are we supposed to do now?" Richard was pacing, obviously angry.

My eyes focused on the small fires surrounding us and the still flaming, charred remains of the _Black Rock_. "A warning might have been nice there, Hugo," Miles said.

"I did say 'run'."

"Why'd you do that?"

"Michael told me to." I looked up at the name and images of him flashed in my mind.

"Hurley…" I said softly, not wanting to believe that's what he said.

He glanced back at me as Miles knelt in front of him."Who?"

"Michael. He's one of the people who come back and yell at me after they die. He told me I had to stop everyone from blowing up the plane. So… no dynamite, no more blowing up."

"That happen a lot? Dead people yelling at you?"

"Happens enough."

I stood and knelt next to Miles, putting my hand on his leg. I probably shouldn't belistening to their conversation, but I was interested. Miles rarely talked about his'thing' and I didn't even know Hurley had one. "And you listen to whatever they say?"

"Dead people are more reliable than alive people."

Miles and I shared a quick glance before standing up again. I walked over to Sun and sat with her. I'd barely spoken to her in the past few days and now that we were the only two girls in the group, I felt I should probably stay with her a bit more.

Richard came up with another plan and I had to struggle to hold back the burst of laughter that was threatening to escape. He wanted to go to the Dharma Barracks and find whatever grenades and explosives were left. Once we were there, we would once again need to head to the beach. Back and forth, it's all we ever did. "I know what to do," Hurley said, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Really? What's that?"

"We have to go talk to Locke."

"What?" I asked loudly the same time Ben asked,"You want to get us killed?"

Hurley pointed,"It's not my idea. It's his."I turned my gaze to where Hurley was pointing; only finding trees and air. There was nothing there."Jacob says we have to talk to Locke."

"Jacob's here. Right now?"

"Yeah," Hurley said, his voice shaking only slightly.

Richard looked from Hurley, to the empty air and then back to Hurley."Ask him what the island is. A while back, Jacob told me what the island was and if he's really standing right next to me, then just ask him."

Walking forward, Hurley stopped in front of Richard. I thought for a moment, that there might be an answer, but no. "I don't have to prove anything to you, Richard. You either come with me or you can keep trying to blow stuff up. Your call, dude."

"He's lying. Jacob isn't telling us what to do because Jacob never tells us what to do. I'm gonna make this simple. If that thing leaves the island, that's it. It's over."

"What's over?" Miles asked.

"Everything. I'm destroying that plane and I can use all the help I can get. Who's coming with me?"

Everything? As in all of us and what we know, or the entire world? Was that thing going to kill everyone we knew and loved?Even the people not on the island? "I am," Ben said, standing up with his pack and walking towards the trees.

"I saw that thing in action, man. It doesn't want to talk. Sorry." I watched Miles walk a few steps toward Richard before stopping and turning back. "Come on, Kalie," Miles said, holding out his hand for me.

I look from Miles to Hurley and back again. Where did I want to go? What was my heart telling me? I loved Miles, but was blowing up the plane the best option? I was frozen, unable to make a decision. Looking around, I found everyone staring at me, which definitely didn't help me think. "Kalie?" Miles called, looking down at me. He knelt in front of me, clasping his hands around mine. "Come with me. You said before you should have gone with me, now's your chance."

Chewing my lip, I closed my eyes. I sat for a moment, silently debating my options. Go with Hurley or go with Richard. Finally, I nodded and squeezed his hand. "Okay," I whispered, looking into his eyes. "I'll go with you."

He stood and pulled me to my feet, wrapping his arm around me and leading me towards where Ben was standing. I wasn't sure if I was making the right decision, but I knew I was happy, at least for the moment. The last time we separated, I wanted to be with him, so now I was. No matter what happened, I was with the man I loved.

"Anyone else?" Richard asked, looking at the group one by one.

Sun, Frank and Jack shook their heads, choosing to remain on their seats. "Sorry, Richard. If Jacob says go talk to Locke, we go talk to Locke. I'm going with Hugo."

"Really?" Hurley looked shocked and I couldn't blame him. Usually Jack was the one leading the group and taking charge, now he was letting Hurley do it.

Jack nodded and I slipped my hand into Miles."Don't get in our way," Richard said before turning away and leading us into the jungle. I glanced over my shoulder one last time before disappearing into the trees.

Yet again, I wondered if I was making the right choice. Three years ago, I chose to go with Locke to the Barracks because of something Charlie said. I then debated my choice to stay at the Barracks when Sayid asked me to join him. And finally, I debated my choice to stay in Dharmaville when Miles and James wanted to go to the beach. Would I ever be able to make a decision and not worry about whether or not it was the right one?

* * *

**AN: Sorry for the delay. I honestly forgot yesterday was Sunday :) What do you think? Are you happy with her decision? Sad? Don't care either way? Boone fans: he shows up soon... I promise :)**

**Thanks so much to: hodhod2011danger, JacDanvers, LuliCullen, the_werewolf_gal, Maiqu, panizagloba, PaperBooksInk, and AngelwithDirtyThoughts for reviewing the previous chapter.**


	21. Running

**Chapter 21: Running, Day 10**

We were walking side by side, with Ben in front of us and Richard behind. Ben was leading the way to the Barracks and while I was happy to be here with Miles, I was nervous about going to the Barracks, and not just because they wanted dynamite. It had been thirty years since we lived there, but three years now… it was all very confusing. Would they look the same? Maybe they were rundown and dilapidated because no one was living in them?

"Are you sure this is a shortcut?" Miles asked, brushing aside a stray branch. I stepped through the branch and wiped my brow, brushing aside the stray hairs. My ponytail was falling loose, sending fly-away hairs blowing into my eyes.

"I lived in these houses a long time, Miles. I think I can remember how to get there."

"Well, I lived in these houses thirty years before you did, otherwise known as last week, and I have no idea where the hell we are."

I looked around the trees. Everything looked the same, just like it did over by the beach. I did feel vaguely familiar, and if I was right, we must be close. I had never ventured out beyond our borders, not more than a few feet into the trees. After being warned about the 'Hostiles,' I was terrified to be out by myself. "It kinda looks familiar to me," I said softly, crossing my arms over my chest. I was ignored of course.

"I guess it's a good thing you're following me," Ben said, still leading the way through the trees.

What was I doing? Why was I going through this? I should have stayed in the 1970's.

"Mind if I ask how much explosive you have access to Ben?" Richard asked from behind me. I had almost forgotten he was there, he'd been so quiet.

"More than enough to blow the plane ten times over and keep it from leaving this island."

"It's been a long time, are you sure it's still there?"

"It's C4, Richard," Ben said with a bitter laugh, "I put some thought into hiding it."

"Let me guess, cookie jar?" Miles asked and I rolled my eyes. Oh Miles.

"Don't be ridiculous. It's in my secret room behind the bookcase."

My mind flashed back to three years previous when we were hiding in Ben's house. After Alex was shot, he had gone into the secret room and called the Smoke Monster. Then we all ran for our lives. I shivered at the memory, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

Not watching where I was going, I walked right into Miles, who had stopped in the middle of the path. "Watch where you're going," he said with out even glancing back at me.

"Sorry," I said softly, looking over his shoulder. It was desolate. The Barracks were quiet, more so than I ever remember them being. We used to have children playing, families walking, and people sitting on their porches. Now,picnic tables were overturned, shutters falling off the house and the swing set was rusted. I had pushed students on that swing set and we had a picnic in the yard on the last day of the term. Where were my students now? Did they still remember me? They'd be in their thirties, even forties by now.

"Can you believe we lived here?" I asked Miles, looking around the town centre. "That was my house and that was yours…" I trailed off, feeling nostalgic tears fill my eyes.

"That was thirty years ago, Kay, no need to get so worked up about it," he said over his shoulder and I rolled my eyes. He had no appreciation for what we used to have.

"You said yourself it was last week," I shot back, wiping my eyes with the heel of my hands. Without waiting for his response,I followed Richard and Ben through the town with Miles straggling behind me. I stood next to the fence outside Ben's house, which used to be Horace's, and stared out at the Barracks. My house had a broken window and the porch steps were missing a few boards. Even my porch swing was only hanging from one side, the other chain draped across the floor. "What's wrong?" Ben asked and I turned, finding Miles on the ground.

"Miles?" I walked over a few steps, hoping he was okay.

"Yeah, it's just… I get wonky around dead stuff…" He stood, his hands waving around as he talked.

"Is there something you'd like to share with us, Miles?"

"I don't think…"

"What…"

"It's Alex," Richard interrupted and I looked from Miles to Ben and back again. _Oh God,_ I thought, my hands flying to my mouth."It's your daughter." Ben walked over, obviously distraught. He stared at the grass beside the fence and I couldn't make out the emotion in his eyes."After you left, I buried her."

I gazed down at the fence, the sound of Alex's death playing through my mind. I didn't see it, I couldn't look out the window, but I heard the gunshot and her cries for help. I shivered despite the humid heat."Thank you, Richard," Ben said before turning away and walking around the fence.

We waited a moment before following, Richard first followed by Miles and me. My hands were still stuffed into my pockets as I stepped into the house and looked around. Pictures were crooked on the walls and everything was covered in at least an inch of dust. I sneezed, inhaling a cloud of dust. Stupid allergies.

Ben had rushed quickly to the bookcase on the wall, pulling it forward. I heard it scraping on the floor and we stepped inside, the room lit with dim, green lighting. He had pushed aside his shirts, revealing a stone tablet with hieroglyphics."What's that?A secreter room?"

"It's where I was told I could summon the monster. That was before I realized it was summoning me," Ben said after kneeling down in front of the stone tablet.

I peeked over Ben's shoulder, watching him tap at something before swinging open a door, revealing a large pile of C4."Well Richard, it's your idea. Are we looking to cripple the plane or blow it to hell?"

Looking over at Richard, I already knew his answer."Blow it to hell."

"Then we better take it all."

Richard unzipped his pack as Ben pulled the C4 from the safe. I was holding my breath, even though I knew the C4 wasn't as unstable as the dynamite. The probability of it going off in this small room was highly unlikely, but still possible. Oh I wanted to be out of here.

The sound of a door closing forced me to turn towards the door. Richard stepped out first, his rifle held tightly, followed closely by Ben. I glanced at Miles, my heart pounding in my chest. "Stay here," he whispered, stepping out into the living room.

I crouched in the corner, my arms wrapped around my knees with my head resting on top. "Don't move! Show me your hands!" I heard yelled from the other room."Who the hell are you?"

"She's with me,"a new voice said, but I couldn't place it.

Fighting temptation, I stayed crouched in my corner, waiting for… something. "Kay, you can come out," Miles said a few minutes later, peeking into the small room.

He crossed the room and held out his hand, pulling me to my feet. "Who's out there?"

"I don't know. Some old British guy and a curly-haired chick. She looks like Tina Fey." I waited for him to drop my hand, but he held tight and I smiled despite the situation.

We walked out of the secret room and into the living room. I scanned the crowd, noting the new occupant. I wonder where the curly-haired chick went?

"What are you doing here, Richard?" The older man asked.

"We're getting explosives to destroy the plane on the other island."

"Now, why would you want to do that?"

I had been wondering the same thing, but kept my mouth shut. Well, after the original fuss with Hurley."None of your damned business," Ben replied, his rifle pointed at the old man.

"I've had that plane rigged with explosives since I got here. As usual, Benjamin, I'm three steps ahead of you." That old man was smug, and I didn't much like him.

"How did you get back here, Charles?"

"Jacob invited me."

I looked over at Miles and then down at our hands, still clasped together. I knew that name, Jacob. He was the leader of the Others; they mentioned him at the Temple.

Ben lowered his rifle, "that's a lie. You've never even seen Jacob."

"I most certainly have. He visited me, not long after your people destroyed my freighter. He convinced me of the error of my ways and told me everything I needed for this exact purpose."

"What purpose?" Ben asked, but the old man, Charles, never responded.

The walkie-talkie chirped and Charles answered, speaking with a woman on the other end. I could only assume it was the woman who was here earlier. "If you don't want to die, we have to hide."

My heart dropped in my chest and I shut my eyes. Once again, we would be running for our lives.

The door swung open and a woman burst into the room. "Charles, let's go," she said, looking out of breath.

"There's no time. Linus has a secret room." Charles crossed the room and stood in front of the bookcase. I turned on the spot, watching him, confused. "What are you waiting for?"

"I'm not interested in hiding. He's going to find me sooner or later. I'd rather get it over with," Ben said, still holding the rifle.

"These are all really great plans," Miles said, holding tight to my hand, "but I'm going to go with surviving. If you need us, we'll be running through the jungle. Come on, Kay."

I held tight to Miles' hand and my backpack straps. "Miles, wait." Ben raced over to Charles. "Give me your walkie-talkies."

"Why?"

"Because I asked." There was a pause before Charles and the woman pulled their walkie-talkies out and handed them to Ben. "Thank you. In case I need you," Ben said, handing Miles one handset.

"He's going to kill you, you know that."

I looked up at Charles, knowing my eyes were filled with fear. "Then I guess this is goodbye," Ben said monotonously. Charles disappeared into the secret room, pulling the bookcase closed behind him. "Care to join me outside while I wait for the inevitable?"

We turned to Richard, "I'm going to talk to him. I know this man; all he wants is for me to join him."

"Good luck with that," Miles said, pulling me out the door behind him. "Come on, Kalie. We need to get out of here."

I followed along, struggling to keep up with him. I tripped over vines and rocks and scratched my hands on twigs. "Miles," I called, tripping over an upturned root. "Miles! Can you please slow down?" I stopped, pulled my hand from his and brushed back my hair that had fallen loose from my ponytail. "Please."

A second later, Miles turned and nodded. "Fine, we can stop here." He dropped his pack to the ground and knelt down.

"What now?" I whispered, collapsing onto a large rock.

"What?"

I looked up, meeting Miles' eyes. "Nothing," I said softly. Reaching up, I undid my ponytail and slipped the tie around my wrist. We were running again. All we did was run.

"We'll be fine here," he said, taking a swig from a half-empty water bottle. "We'll just wait until Locke leaves."

"Then what? Then what do we do?"

"We… find a way off. One thing at a time, please?" He was getting annoyed, but…

I took a deep breath. "Miles," I said, steeling myself up for what I needed to say. "I love you. I'm sorry for everything awful I have done to you over the years. I'm sorry for being such an awful girlfriend…"

"Why do you need to do this now?" He asked, sighing loudly. "Can't you wait until we're off this island and on our way to California?"

"What if we don't make it to California? What if we're stuck here, forever? What if we die here?" I bit my lip, feeling the tears well in my eyes.

He sighed again and walked over to where I was sitting. "We are going to get off this island. We are going to make it to California and we will be fine."

"Do you promise?"

He hesitated before nodding. "I promise. I promise to get you off this island alive."

Forcing a smile through my tears, I nodded. "Thank you, even if it's probably a promise you can't keep."

"I love you," he said, tilting my chin up so that I met his eyes.

"I love you, too."

Miles' lips pressed against mine lightly and I wiped the tears from my eyes. "Now what do you say we…"

Loud shots echoed through the near silence of the jungle. "Where those gunshots?"

* * *

**AN: I am so sorry for the delay! I took my first master's class and was overwhelmed with work. But I'm back now and we're almost to the end. There are about five chapters left, including the flash-sideways. Thanks to: LuliCullen, PaperBooksInk, JacDanvers, the_werewolf_gal, hodhod2011danger, panizagloba, Maiqu and AngelwithDirtyThoughts for reviewing the previous chapter!**

**Hope you forgive me!**


	22. The End

**Chapter 22: The End, Day 14**

Loud shots echoed through the near silence of the jungle. "Where those gunshots?" I asked, looking up towards the Barracks. I stared through the trees, hoping to see something, anything, but the brush was too thick.

Without giving me an answer, he took my hand and stood up, pulling me with him. We walked as quietly as we could, creeping around the rocks and fallen trees. "What the…?"

He dropped my hand and walked into a small clearing. Peeking around, I gasped when I realized what he was looking at. "Is that Richard?" I asked, kneeling down next to the lifeless form. "What happened to him?" My fingers slid across his neck as I tried to locate his carotid artery. At least I remembered that from thing from my CPR training in Health class. He had a pulse, but it was faint.

"I think the Smoke Monster tossed him." Reaching into his pocket, Miles pulled out the walkie-talkie Ben gave him. "Linus. Linus come in. I found Alpert."

While he tried to contact Ben, I pulled a water bottle from my purse along with an old rag. Wetting the rag, I placed it on Richard's forehead. If he'd been thrown like Miles said, his back might be broken. Richard stirred, his eyelids fluttering before they opened. "Miles," I called, rocking back on my heels. "Lie still." I pulled the rag from his forehead and rung it out.

Miles knelt next to me, placing his hand on Richard's shoulder. "You okay?"

"What… what happened?" Richard asked, squinting in what I assumed was pain.

"You thought it'd be a good idea to talk to the black smoke. It responded by throwing you into the damn jungle," Miles said, helping Richard sit up.

I sat in the dirt, my legs crossed Indian style, and tried not to glance back toward the Barracks. We still didn't know what caused those gunshots and if that person was coming after us… Who was shot? I didn't hold any care for anyone in the house, but I didn't want to see anyone else get killed.

"Locke… is he still here?"

"No," Miles said, shaking his head. I stood up and helped Richard to his feet. "I've been trying to reach Linus on the walkie, but he won't pick up. Come on, let's get you some help."

"Help?" Richard and I exclaimed at the same time. "Where are we supposed to get help from?" I asked, bordering on panic once again.

"You still have the explosives, the C4?"

Miles lifted his pack onto his shoulder. "Yeah, why?"

"Because we need to go to the other island and finish what we started. We need to blow up that plane," Richard said before turning and walking away from us.

Closing my eyes, I bit my lip. "So we're off again, huh?" I asked softly, barely above a whisper.

Miles didn't answer and I opened my eyes to make sure he was still beside me. "We're off again." He slipped his hand into mine and started forward, following Richard through the trees.

If I remembered correctly, the dock was only a mile away from the Barracks, and it shouldn't take us long to get there. Just like every other trip I had taken through the jungle, I tripped over rocks and roots. I fell, scraped the palms of my hands and wound up with far too many branches and leaves caught in my hair. If I thought travelling through the jungle was old before, it's ancient now.

Finally, the trees broke and we jogged down the dock to where an outrigger was tied. I dropped Miles' hand and knelt next to the water. Behind us, storm clouds were moving fast, dark and black. "Gonna be a hell of a storm," Richard said, untying the ropes from the dock.

I took Miles and Richard's hands and climbed in, seating myself in the middle. I hate boats, especially small ones like this. When we were trying to get around the island during the time flashes, I was terrified. Thought I was more terrified of being shot at than being in the boat.

"Welcome to the club," Miles said a minute later with a goofy grin on his face. I looked up, wondering what he was talking about. I'd never seen him with that grin, what was up?

"What?"

He brushed his hair, "you mind?" He reached over and plucked a hair from Richard. "Looks like you've got your first grey hair."

Richard stared down at it in shock before taking it from Miles. "Kay, you settled?" Miles asked, having moved on from Richard.

"Yes," I replied softly, sitting as still as I could. I shifted my purse around from my side so that it now sat on my lap. I held tightly to the straps, just wanting this nightmare to be over.

"What are you smiling about?"

I looked up, catching the grin on Richard's face. "I just realized, I want to live," he replied, still staring at the hair.

"Well, that's good timing," Miles replied, slapping him on the shoulder before standing up and climbing into the boat.

Miles sat in front of me and then Richard climbed in behind. Richard finished unhooking the ropes that tied us to the dock and we started rowing. It took quite a while to get away from the island and out toward the open water. My arms and back ached, but now wasn't the time to complain. We were running for our lives –again– and I should be happy I wasn't dead yet.

"You all right, Kay?" Miles asked after a half hour of rowing. He glanced over his shoulder, giving me a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I wanted to give him a smile back, but I couldn't force my lips to turn up.

A loud thump sounded from in the water and the three of us looked around. "What was that?"

I glanced over to the left side of the boat, letting out a scream when I realized what we had run into. My hands flew to my mouth and I nearly lost the oar. Thankfully, Richard grabbed it before it went over, placing it securely in my hands.

There was a man floating in the water, bobbing up and down. He was dead.

"Help," someone called and I scanned the water to see if I could find the person. The water was littered with debris, but from what, I didn't know.

"Miles, up ahead," Richard said and the three of us started rowing again.

Up ahead, a hand rose from the water and I forced myself to row faster. Finally, we reached the person, Frank Lapidus. Miles handed me his oar and reached down to help Frank into the boat. Richard, Miles and I managed to get Frank into the boat, his head practically resting in my lap. "Get him some water."

Richard grabbed a bottle from the back of the boat and poured water into Frank's mouth. "What are you guys doing out here?"

"We're going to Hydra Island to blow up the plane," Richard replied, handing Frank the bottle.

"What do you want to do that for?" Frank asked, sitting up.

"Because the black smoke wants to get off the island. We have to stop that thing from leaving."

"Well, if we leave, that thing won't have a plane anymore." I allowed myself a small smile. Could we leave? Could we fly the plane out of here?

"Yeah, and how we gonna do that?"

Frank chuckled, "in case you haven't noticed, I'm a pilot."

"I'm sorry," I interrupted softly, "but am I the only one who is wondering why all this debris is here? Frank, where did you come from?"

Silence fell over the boat, but I didn't regret asking. Why was Frank in the middle of the ocean? Where was everyone else? Where was Sayid? "Let's get to shore," he said and took one of the oars from my lap.

Tears filled my eyes as the three men started rowing towards Hydra Island. It couldn't be good news; why else would he want to wait until we were on the shore?

I stared out at the water, my hands clasped together on my lap. I had nothing to do and no one wanted to talk to me. At least when I had an oar, there was something to occupy my mind. But now that Frank had taken it…

Finally, Hydra Island came within sight. The men steered the outrigger toward the shore and we ran aground. I climbed out, my jeans getting soaked from my knees down. Leaving Richard to deal with Frank, I walked up the sand to where Miles had the walkie-talkie out. I don't think I wanted to know why he was in the middle of the ocean. "Linus, are you there?"

There was a second pause. "Miles, where are you?"

I let out a small sigh of relief, happy to hear Ben's voice for the first time ever. "We just got to Hydra Island; we're on our way to the plane."

"Miles, listen to me. Whatever you do, don't blow up that plane." Ben's voice came hurriedly over the walkie, and he sounded scared.

"We're not gonna blow it up, we're gonna fly it the hell off the island. Just get over here now."

"What the hell…?" Frank said softly and I looked over to where he was looking. I gasped. She looked as awful as she had just a few days before, and I couldn't help but wonder what she had been through over the past three years. She was always so put together, always so organized.

"Claire," Miles called out.

It was Claire. One of my best friends, only she wasn't. He had a rifle held in her hands, and it was aimed at us. "Claire," I said softly, taking a step forward.

"Put the gun down," Miles said, reaching forward and pulling me back toward him. I jumped as she fired a shot.

"Don't come any closer!"

Miles dropped my hand, nearly falling over in the sand, but I stood my ground. I could hear Kate talking over the walkie and I wanted to tell her to shut up. Now was not the time for her to be talking. "He sent you over here to kill me, didn't he?"

"No listen, we're not with Locke," Richard said quickly, stepping forward with his hands raised.

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because we have a real chance to get far, far away from him. We could be free of everything he ever did to us and never look back. We can go home." He walked a few more steps closer to her, "will you come with us, Claire?"

She hesitated, and I thought for a moment that she'd say yes. "No," she said before turning away and walking back toward the jungle.

I was frozen. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't get the words… "Claire!" I called, jogging forward.

"Kalie, get back here," Miles yelled, but I ignored him.

She turned, and I caught a glimpse of the girl I used to know. My friend Claire was still there, somewhere. I just needed to figure out how to reach her. "Please, please come with us. Come home."

"This is my home," she said softly, shrugging. Claire turned again, taking another step toward the trees.

"This isn't what Charlie would have wanted, Claire. He wouldn't want to see you like this," I called, wondering if mentioning him would do any good.

Claire stopped mid step, but then kept going. She disappeared into the trees and my heart dropped. "Kay," Miles said quietly, placing his hand on my back. "She's gone."

"I thought… maybe if I brought up Charlie… I thought she might stay." I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder.

"I know, I know. But we have to go now. She doesn't want to come and we have things to do." He slipped his hand into mine and led me back to where Richard and Frank were.

I followed the men through the trees. "Frank," I said after ten minutes of walking. "Why were you in the middle of the ocean?"

He stopped on the trail and glanced back at me. "We were on the submarine," he said as he started walking again. "I don't know what happened, but Jin told me to surface in the middle of a dive. We didn't get up in time, and an explosion rocked the sub. I went down to investigate, but got hit with a hatch door. I don't know how I made it to the surface."

Biting my lip, I nodded. "You don't know where everyone else is then, do you? Sayid? James?"

He glanced over his shoulder and shook his head. "No."

I fell silent, brushing tree branches from my path. Where was Sayid? Was he with Kate? How about James? I hadn't seen him since he disappeared from the temple. Was he okay?

My thoughts were interrupted as we came upon a clearing with an airplane sitting in the middle. Strangely enough, it looked as if the plane was on a makeshift runway. What was a runway doing on an island in the middle of nowhere? "Come on, let's get to work."

Frank gave us directions and told us what to do. I searched for something to cover the broken windshield. I roamed the nearby area, finally finding a flat piece of wood. Richard and Frank were on the nose of the plane when I returned. Just as I reached the plane, the island shook and rain poured from the sky.

I climbed up the makeshift scaffolding and handed Richard the plank. "Here," I yelled over the rush of the rain. "What else do you need?"

"Nothing right now," Frank called back, helping Richard position the board over the gaping hole.

Slowly and taking care not to fall, I climbed back down the scaffolding and hid under the plane. My clothes were soaked through and I wrapped my arms around myself to keep warm from the cool wind.

Miles was talking into the walkie, "Lapidus is working on the plane right now, and then we're taking off."

I screamed as the ground shook again, sitting in the mud and curling into a ball. _Please just let us get off this island,_ I prayed. _Please just let us get off_.

"Hey! How much longer til we get this thing in the air?" Miles called up to Frank.

"I still have to check the electrical and the hydraulics. Five hours, maybe six."

"Five hours," I screamed. "We don't have five hours!"

I wiped the mud and rain from my eyes. "You've got maybe one," Richard called over the rain.

"Get your asses over here. We're leaving in an hour!"

I stayed huddled underneath the plane, waiting to be told what to do. I was a teacher for crying out loud, I knew nothing about planes and electronic equipment. "What the…?" I asked a few minutes later, standing up. The rain stopped.

"Kay! Get up here!" Miles yelled from the door of the plane.

Slowly, I climbed the rickety scaffolding and into the plane. "What?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were where I could see you," he said offhandedly, walking towards the cockpit.

Despite the circumstances, I allowed myself a small smile. Even after two years, I still couldn't get over that he actually liked me. I had barely settled myself in a chair when the ground started shaking once again. I held tight to the armrests and closed my eyes._ We will get out of this. The plane will fly off and we will be safe._

When I opened my eyes, the ground wasn't shaking. Miles brushed past me, holding tight to paper and a roll of duct tape. "Where are you going?" I asked, my voice more high-pitched than normal.

"To fix something in the nose. Stay here," he added as they climbed down to the ground.

On unsteady legs, I got to my feet and walked slowly to the cockpit. Frank was flipping switches and tapping buttons. "Can I help with anything?" I asked softly, already knowing the answer.

"Just stay back there. Unless you can help with electrical."

"No," I said, shaking my head slowly. "I can't."

Rather than stay where I know I couldn't help, I went back to my seat. I pulled the notebook from my purse along with the pen, and opened to one of the last pages.

_It's almost over. We're at the plane and the men are trying to get it ready to take off. We found Frank in the water on our way to Hydra Island, and he says we can fly this plane off the island. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I can't help but hope. Maybe I could finally go home._

_We don't know where everyone else is. Ben and Kate are together, but that's all I know. They're supposedly heading here towards us, but who knows if they'll make it before we take off. James, Jack, Hurley and Sayid, Sun and Jin… I don't know where they are and it scares me._

Miles and Richard climbed back into the plane and tossed the duct tape onto a nearby seat. "Did you fix it?" I asked, closing the notebook and stuffing both it and the pen back into my purse.

"I certainly hope so," he replied, squeezing my shoulder. I stood up and followed him to the cockpit, wondering how much longer it would be before we could leave.

"_Yo Chesty, it's Sawyer and Kate." _Richard picked up the walkie-talkie from the co-pilot's seat. I breathed a sigh of relief. That was one person off my worry list; James was with Kate. But what about Sayid, Jin, Sun, Hurley and Jack?

"Yeah," Richard answered.

"_We're on our way down to the sailboat, then we're heading to you. Don't leave with out us!"_

Frank grabbed the walkie and sat down in the pilot's chair. "We're getting off the ground while there's still ground to get off. So if you wanna go, you better get your asses in gear." He tossed the walkie back onto the co-pilot's seat and resumed flipping switches and hitting buttons.

I heard James yell a few more times before he fell silent. _Please let them get here in time!_

"Frank, how much longer?" I asked quietly, after another minor earthquake.

"As soon as I double check these readouts…" he glanced up at me. "Five minutes until I turn this on and we see if it'll run."

Biting my lip, I nodded and returned to my seat in First Class. There was nothing I could do other than stay out of the way.

The plane was silent as Frank worked. Richard and Miles stood behind him, watching. "All right," he said after another few minutes. "Here we go."

I walked over and peeked over Miles' shoulder, my fingers crossed. Frank took a deep breath, flipped a few last switches and the plane roared to life. It was loud and I could see the trees bending against the wind from the engines. I grinned, ignoring the fear for a fraction of a second. It might work. "Miles, you're gonna be my eyes as I back out of here. Richard, you tell me what he says."

Miles and Richard brushed past me, heading toward the open door. "You best hold tight or sit down," Frank yelled over the roar of the engine. I grabbed onto the door frame just as the plane began moving backward. "Are we clear?"

"Miles, are we clear?" Richard yelled to the back end of the plane. "He says we're good."

"You better pray we are, Ricky boy, because I'm gonna spin her around. Hold on." We turned. "All right, we're good to go. Let's move!"

I stepped backward and turned, sitting down in the nearest seat. I pulled the seatbelt over my lap and held on tight to the armrests. Miles and Richard sat in the cockpit with Frank, leaving me alone in First class.

My heart pounded in my chest and I shut my eyes. I didn't want to watch. If we blew up, hit a tree or crashed, I didn't want to see. I felt the plane jerking as he began to power up the engines.

As the plane powered down, I forced my eyes open, leaning forward to peer into the cockpit. "Come on!" Frank yelled as Miles and Richard jumped to their feet.

"What's going on?" I asked as they raced to the door. I wanted to get up and see what was going on, but I was too terrified. I couldn't force my fingers to undo my seatbelt. I couldn't move my legs.

The door opened and I heard clanking of metal. "We're running out of time!" Frank yelled, glancing over his shoulder.

The next thing I knew, Claire was walking onto the plane. "Oh goodness, Claire!" Somehow, I managed to unbuckle my seatbelt and stand. She sat in a seat on the other side of the aisle, followed closely by Kate who sat next to her. "What happened?" I asked, noting the blood on her shoulder.

"Way to wait til the last second, Jim."

"Good to see you too, Enos."

James. "We got 'em," Richard yelled as the door slammed shut.

"Where's Sayid? Jack? Hurley? James, where are Jin and Sun?" I was still standing, facing the back of the plane.

He didn't answer me, choosing instead to sit in the seat just behind me. "James! Answer me!"

"They're gone, Kalie. Now sit down and buckle up," he yelled.

My heart stopped and I let myself be pulled down into my seat. "Kay, sit down," Miles said gently. He snapped my seatbelt before snapping his own. His hand slid into my own, holding tightly. "I love you," he said, squeezing my fingers.

I nodded, unable to form the words. Sayid… Jin… Sun… Hurley… Jack. They're all gone. The people I called friend and family over the past three years was gone. Did Jin and Sun at least get to be together when they died? I didn't get to say goodbye to any of them…

"Oh God," I moaned as the plane lurched forward. We were moving. Normally, I loved flying, but I knew I would never get on another plane if we managed to get home.

Faster. The plane rolled faster over the ground and I held tight to Miles' hand. Biting my lip, I squeezed my eyes shut. _Please let us get in the air. Please get us home. Please… please… please…_ Prayers flew through my mind. I just wanted to get home. _Please just let me get home._

And then… we were in the air. We were off the island and in the air. It was the first time in three years that my feet weren't on that bloody island. Slowly, I opened my eyes and scanned the cabin. We were all alive. We were in the air.

Fingers turned my chin and I met Miles' eyes with a small smile on my lips. He pressed his lips to mine and wrapped his arms around my neck. "We're up," he said with a small chuckle. "We're in the air."

* * *

**AN: Wow. I am so sorry. If you read my _Dharma Stories_, you saw my apology and explanation. Summer should give me plenty of time to write, but that wasn't the case this year. Please forgive me!**

**In other news, I can't believe this is almost over. I had a minor freak-out earlier when I realized they were off the island. I know, I'm a dork. It's just this story and Kalie have been a major part of my writing for almost a year and a half now. It's crazy.**

**Thank you to: the_werewolf_gal, AngelwithDirtyThoughts, PaperBooksInk, LuliCullen, panizagloba, Maiqu, tntlostfan, and JacDanvers for reviewing the previous chapter. BTW: For the Boone fans, he won't be in the next chapter, but most definitely in Ch. 24. He was due to make an appearance, but I changed around the order of my chapters :) Thanks so much for reading!**


	23. Death

**Chapter 23: Death**

_**October 30, 2022**_

Fifteen years after finally getting off the island, I was dying. I had suffered for two years with ovarian cancer, and now my time was up. I was tired of fighting, tired of treatments, nothing was working anymore. My doctor wanted to try a new experimental drug, one that promised positive results, but I couldn't do that to my children. I couldn't do that to Miles. It wasn't that I was giving up, I was just accepting the inevitable.

The end was close now, I knew it. Miles had taken the kids to Claire's house to visit with Aaron, leaving me alone with James. He didn't want to, but I needed a moment alone with my friend. "Hey," I whispered when I opened my eyes. James was half asleep in a chair by my window. His mouth hung open and every once in a while, a snore would escape. "James, can you get me some water?"

His eyes blinked open and he sat up with a start. "What? Yeah." He jumped up, walking quickly out of the bedroom and down the hall, his boots clicking on the wooden floor.

I closed my eyes again and thought back. I had written a letter to Miles and one to each of my children. Miles' letter was practically memorized; I had gone over it so many times before finally putting words to paper.

_Dear Miles,_

_I love you. I've loved you for nearly 20 years (50 if you include our travel through time) now and not a day goes by that I'm not so happy to have you in my life. You've been there for me though everything and I don't know how I can thank you. If it hadn't been for you, I probably would have wasted away in Dharmaville and never have survived our final days on the island. _

_We have two beautiful children and I am happier than I ever thought I could be. Charlie and Juliet are the two greatest gifts you've ever given me. I just wish I could have more time with them. More time with you. I want to watch Julie walk down the aisle and watch Charlie graduate from college. I want to be able to celebrate 25 years together, then 50…_

_I'm sorry you had to go through this again. I know it must be hard after losing your Mum all those years ago. Now you have to watch me… I'm so sorry._

_Now, I have a few things I need to make sure you do. I'll know if you don't, I'll be watching. _

_First__: Tell Charlie and Juliet I love them. Each and every day. I want them to know I didn't want to leave them, that it just happened. It was my time. God call me home._

_Second__: Take care of James. While he's gotten better over the years, he still isn't the same as he was. Kate's doing her best, but there's only so much she can do. I'm just happy they never married. I can't see that working out. _

_Third__: Take care of yourself. Don't mourn me for too long. If you have the chance to be happy again, take it. Make sure you're happy and that the kids are happy. _

_I love you, Miles. Even though we had our rough times and more than our fair share of arguments, I was happy. You kept me safe and happy, just like you promised._

_Take care. I'll miss you._

_Love always,_

_Kalie_

It was kept with my will in the lawyer's office, so I knew he'd get it after I… died.

"Here you go," James said as he walked back into the room. Sitting on the bed, he helped me sip the water. I was barely strong enough to lift my head, let alone hold a glass. I hated feeling like this, being as helpless as I was. I survived on _Mystery Island_, one of only nine people, including Ben and Hurley, but unable to survive cancer.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, not knowing how he'd react to what I needed to say. "I'm sorry you're here with me, helping Miles take care of me." Tears filled my eyes as I avoided his gaze.

He coughed and shifted awkwardly on the quilt. "Tinkerbelle," James said, using my old nickname. He hadn't called me that in years. "I'm here because I want to be. After Juliet, you did your best to help me, now it's my turn."

"I… I don't want to go, James. I don't want to leave him. I'm ready, I know I am, it's just… he can't do it on his own." Tears streamed down my cheeks and I fought to meet his eyes. "When Julie was a baby and she cried, he'd hand her over to me. How's he supposed to take care of two children, when he can barely take care of himself?"

James nodded, his own eyes filled with tears. "I'll take care of him, I promise."

"I know you will," I said with a smile. Sinking deeper into the mattress and pile of pillows, I shut my eyes again. "I think I'm going to rest for a little while. Wake me up when they get back, 'kay?"

"Sure." The bed lifted as he stood up, and a few seconds later, I felt his lips brush my forehead. James took care of me on the island and now he was doing it again.

The next thing I knew, I heard whispers from around the bed. I slowly opened my eyes and was greeted by the smiling faces of my two children. "Hey," I said, forcing a smile.

"Mommy," Juliet yelled, holding tight to my hand. "We had fun playing with Aaron, but we missed you."

"Yeah, we missed you, Mom," Charlie added, leaning on the mattress next to his sister.

Miles entered the room, bringing a tray of food with him. "Oh, you're awake." He set the tray down on a TV table and leaned over me, gently kissing my forehead.

"I'm awake," I replied softly, my voice heavy with sleep. "So you had fun, huh?"

My two children proceeded to tell me all about their visit with Aaron while Miles helped me eat dinner. Aaron was seventeen now and headed to college next fall, but was always ready to play with Charlie and Julie. "Hey James, would you take the kids out to get some ice cream?" I asked, avoiding Miles' worried gaze.

"Ice cream," they screamed together, jumping up from the bed. "Please take us Uncle James!"

Shaking his head, James sighed and took each by the hand. "Fine, let's go rug rats." He winked at me as they walked out the door. I wanted to commit the moment to memory, but it wouldn't do much good. I wouldn't need memories…

They disappeared from the room and not two minutes later, the front door slammed shut. "I'm going to bring the tray downstairs," Miles said after an awkward minute of silence.

"Please… stay. Don't go yet. I… I need to tell you something," I whispered, my eyes already filling with tears.

He paused in the doorway before turning back to me. The tray was settled back on the table and he sat on the edge of my bed. He reached out, taking my hand in his. "What?" Forcing a smile, he brushed the edge of my scarf from my face.

"I… I love you. I don't know how much longer I have, but I wanted you to know."

He looked up into my eyes, glistening with tears. "Kay…"

"It's inevitable. I know it's coming and I'm ready."

"Kalie…," he said, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I love you."

_**November 1, 2022**_

She's sleeping. I put the kids to bed and go back to our room to watch her sleep. She said her time was up; that she knew she wasn't going to be here much longer. I'm not sure how much longer I can watch her suffer. I watched my mother die from the same disease. I don't want to lose Kalie too.

Twenty years isn't enough. Hell, if I count our time travelling, we've been together for almost fifty years. It's still not enough. How can I take care of our kids with out her? She knows what the kids want, what they need. I'm just here for show.

"I love you, Kay," I whisper to her, lifting her hand so that I can kiss the back. "I'm gonna miss you. What am I supposed to do without you? You've been wonderful, more than I ever could have asked for."

The room, though filled with a hospital bed and machines, still feels like our room. The faint smell of roses lingers from a burned-out candle on the dresser. I expected the room to feel different with her lying there.

I hold her hand tightly, my thumb rubbing circles on her palm. She had gone downhill fast in the past few days and was barely conscious. The doctors said it wouldn't be much longer, and by this point, I just want her pain to stop.

I'm not ready for her to go, but I know she has to.

She made me go to counseling. Damn priest. The man said she was going to a better place; a place where she would be happy and healthy. He tried to tell me that I'd see her again someday. Bullshit. I don't know what happens after a person dies, but I sure as hell don't believe in an existence in the clouds with everyone frolicking around wearing wings and playing harps. I can see Kalie playing a harp with wings… though with her it'd probably be her violin.

I chuckle softly and kiss her hand again. "Whenever you're ready, Kay, you can go." The machine monitoring her heart beeped slower. "I love you. I know you worry, but I think I can handle taking care of the monsters. Hell, Jim'll help."

I brush the end of her scarf from her face. Her long black hair is gone, has been for over a year now. "You know I love you," I whisper, knowing I can't speak much louder. "You know the kids love you. Even Jim loves you, though he won't admit it.

"I just want you to be healthy. We'll be okay; you don't need to hang on any longer if you don't want to."

The beeping slows further but I continue to stare at her. For the next hour, all I say is how much I love her, how much the kids love her. I tell her how much I'll miss her and I retell stories from our days in the Dharma Initiative. A smile plays on my lips as I remember our first date, our first kiss. "Tell Juliet that Jim misses her, that we all do."

By eleven forty-two, her breathing has almost stopped, and her heart beat is almost nonexistent. "I love you," I whisper again, just as the machine flat lines.

Tears stream down my cheeks and I drop my head to the bed. "I lied," I whisper. "I'm not ready for you to go. I can't do this, Kalie. I can't do this without you."

"Daddy?" Julie calls softly from the doorway. I move to wipe my eyes, but there's no point. They've already seen me cry more times than I can count. "Is Mommy…?"

I nod and reach over to cut off the machine. I need to call the hospital.

Juliet runs over and takes Kalie's other hand. "I love you, Mommy," she whispers, her cheeks already stained with tears.

Charlie enters a few minutes later as I'm on the phone with the hospital. He hugs his sister tightly and I cry once again.

When the ambulance finally arrives, the three of us are huddled close around her bedside. Julie's on my knee, her face buried in my shoulder. Charlie is standing next to me, his hand on my shoulder.

We say our final goodbyes as the stretcher rolls out of the house. The next time we see her; she'll be covered in make-up and won't look like herself.

I'm carrying Juliet, even though she's much too big to be carried. "I love you, Kalie," I whisper, struggling to remember what she looked like before the cancer riddled her body. It's hard, but I can still remember her smiling face, her long black hair blowing in the island breeze. I can still remember her hope when the plane took off and we were finally leaving the island. I can still remember how beautiful she looked on our wedding day.

"Bye, Mommy," Julie said softly, her voice still choked by tears.

"Bye, Mom," Charlie adds, reaching up to take my free hand.

"Bye, Kay."

* * *

**AN: Did you like it? Hate it? Indifferent? This was the toughest chapter between both stories to write, and I was literally near tears by the end. Had I not stopped and walked away from the computer, I would have been bawling.**

**Thank you so much to: tntlostfan, hodhod2011danger, panizagloba, Maiqu, PaperBooksInk, JacDanvers and LuliCullen for reviewing the previous chapter. Four chapters left, and Boone will be in all of them :) Thank you so much for reading! I heart you all!**


	24. A Different Life

**Chapter 24: A Different Life, Day 1**

I flipped through a magazine, barely paying attention to the words. We had been in the air for ten hours and had another four or so to go. "What were you doing in Australia?" The woman in the seat next to me asked.

I glanced over, almost wishing she hadn't said anything but too bored to ignore her. "I was on holiday, just touring the country. How about you?" I closed my magazine and took a sip of my Coke, turning toward her. Maybe she could keep me occupied for the next few minutes if not longer.

"The same. I was scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, taking a bit of time off from work. It was a fun trip, but now we're back to the daily grind, huh?" She laughed and looked out into the plane. "I'm Joanna Miller," she said, holding out her hand.

"Kalie Ca…Walker." I shook her hand and looked back down at the magazine, startled when the plane started shaking. Reaching down, I double checked my seatbelt, making sure it was fastened. A few seconds later, the plane settled and I breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that was a fun time," Joanna said, relaxing in her seat.

We sat still for another minute before the plane started shaking again. "Oh, God," I whispered, holding tight to the armrest with one hand and my St. Raphael's pendant with the other. I closed my eyes and waited for the turbulence to stop. This was the only part of flying that I hated. I hated when the plane shook and the only time I ever thought of the plane crashing was when it hit turbulence.

The plane stopped shaking and I opened my eyes, looking quickly around the cabin. "Sorry about the unexpected bumps folks. We just hit a pocket of rough air, should be smooth air from here on out," the pilots voice came over the loud speaker.

Releasing my tight grip on the armrest, I took a few deep breaths. The shaking was over, we were fine again. I needed to wet my face and take a moment alone. I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood, moving the tray and soda aside. "Excuse me," I said to Joanna, stepping aside and into the aisle.

Carefully, I walked down the aisle towards the bathroom, holding on to seatbacks as I went. Once inside, I locked the door and leaned against the wall. "Only a few more hours," I whispered to myself. "Only a few more hours and you'll be on the ground."

I turned to the sink and splashed water on my face before wiping it away with a towel. My reflection didn't look like me. The eyes that looked back at me were harsher, older looking. It had to be a trick of the light, the atmospheric pressure of the plane. Sure, that was it.

After glancing in the mirror one last time, I unlocked and opened the bathroom door, making my way back towards the middle of the plane. I made it about twenty steps when I was blocked by a man standing in the aisle. "Oi, have a cluckety-cluck day, mate."

"Umm, excuse me," I said softly, glancing at the two men. Both looked fairly familiar, but I knew I recognized the man sitting down, especially after the fake Australian accent. He was the owner of Mr. Cluck's Chicken. Mike, my last boyfriend, would take me there on dates sometimes. And that would be one of the reasons he was the _ex-boyfriend_.

"Oh, sure, sweetheart," the man said, stepping aside.

Forcing a smile, I glanced at the two men in the aisle seats before brushing passed. I carefully walked back down the aisle and by Joanna, sitting in my seat. "Well that was an experience. I try not to walk on planes, throws my balance off," I said lightly, opening my magazine again.

The flight attendants brought around dinner and I picked at my food, moving it around my plate more than I ate it. When I finally gave up, I pushed the tray back and rested my head against the headrest. Only a few more hours and I would be on the ground, ready to head back to everyday life.

The trays were collected and new rounds of drinks supplied. I sipped at my water and closed my eyes, trying to drown out the sound of the airplane engines. It was too loud on planes, but I was too lazy to get my CD player out of my backpack.

"Ladies and gentlemen, nothing to be alarmed about, but if there is a doctor on board would you please press your call button?"The flight attendant's voice came over theloud speaker and I looked around, wondering what could be the problem. It doesn't matter if you tell people not to be alarmed, they're still going to be alarmed. Why would you need a doctor on a plane? Was someone sick? Dying?

"Wonder what's going on?" Joanna asked, scanning the crowd with me.

"Beats me," I answered, relying on Ashton's old retort.

One of the flight attendants walked passed with a tall man in a suit and headed towards the bathroom. A few minutes later she walked to the front of the plane and back again, this time carrying a blue first aid bag. What was going on?

The suited man returned to his seat as did an Arab man I hadn't seen get up. He too looked familiar, but I wasn't sure where I knew him from. Until it hit me. He looked an awful lot like the man I had a photo of in my journal.

Without being too obvious, I put up my tray table and reached into my backpack, pulling out my notebook. I flipped through the first few pages until I found the pictures I was looking for: my brothers, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. My family that I had never met.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Captain Norris here. We're now beginning our final descent into Los Angeles International Airport. I'm happy to tell you it's a beautiful day in Los Angeles, 72* with six miles of visibility and winds out of the South West at five miles an hour. I'll be putting on the fasten seatbelt sign now and we'll be on the ground in just a few minutes. Thank you for flying Oceanic Air." The intercom clicked off and I shook my head, clearing away the thoughts.

Tossing the airplane blanket onto my backpack, I shoved my journal back into the backpack and tucked it under the seat in front of me.I slid up the window shade and stared out at the clouds. We were descending now, and I could make out the tops of buildings. The flight attendants made their final rounds, collecting trash and making sure everyone's seatbelts were fastened before settling down in their own seats. This was it. Fifteen hours on a plane and we were almost home.

Joanna put up her tray and smiled over at me. "Here we go," she said holding on to the armrests.

I nodded and turned back to the window, watching as the ground grew closer and closer. I felt the landing gear lock into place, sending a quick shudder through the plane. My ears popped as we approached the ground and I smiled at the cars driving on the interstates. Everyone looked like ants.

I always got a rush of adrenaline when a plane landed. It was scary for a few moments, like when the landing gear clicked or when the wheels touched down, but always exciting. My dad said I giggled like a little girl when we moved from London to just outside LA and the plane touched down. I didn't remember, but I suppose it was true.

We were on the ground before I even realized and the plane came to a slow stop on the cabin erupted in applause for the pilot and I couldn't help but smile. "Great pilot," I said to Joanna, "I didn't even feel it."

The plane taxied to the terminal and two police officers boarded, walking back to a few rows behind me. A man stood and I couldn't help but think he looked vaguely familiar, like I had seen him somewhere before. His head was shaved and he was wearing baggy clothes. Why were they escorting him off? I slept through most of the flight, save dinner and a few hours of reading. He wasn't escorted on from what I could remember, what happened during the flight that I had missed? Unless he was the reason for the doctor, though he looked fine now. I hated being left out of the loop.

I inherited my nosiness from my mum. She used to love to sit on the porch and watch people walk passed. She'd wave or call hello, pausing to talk with a few of the neighbors. I smiled sadly as I turned away from the window. I missed my mum.

"Enjoy LA," Joanna said as she stood to collect her bag from the overhead compartment. "It was nice talking to you."

"Thanks, you too." When she had left, I stood and pulled my pack from beneath the seat in front of me. Like always, it was wrapped around my ankle. You never knew who was going to sit next to you on a plane and I'd rather be safe than sorry. Slowly, I followed the procession out of the plane. Someone bumped me from behind and I fell forward, crashing into the man in front of me. "I'm sorry," I said to the man, feeling my cheeks glow bright pink. "I didn't mean to bump you."

I waited for a moment, almost expecting to be fussed at. After living just outside of LA for so long, I was accustomed to having people yell at me. When he turned around, his tan leather jacket brushed my arm, sending a quick shiver up my spine."Not a problem," he said with a smile, one side of his lips rising higher than the other. He froze for a moment, as if studying me before adding,"Accidents happen."

I nodded, unable to stop staring into his brilliant blue eyes. He was adorable, brown hair, blue eyes and just a small amount of stubble on his chin. "Have a good day," he said, turning back and walking down the aisle.

Why couldn't I ever meet someone like him? The only guys who were interested in me were not nearly as put together as this man. My guys liked to wear baggy jeans, oversized tees and smoke pot. The decent guys never hit on me.

When I stepped out of the tunnel and into the terminal, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was on solid ground. I followed the man I had bumped down the hallway and out towards thebaggage claim. I collected my suitcase and headed down towards customs. The line was long and slow moving, just like always and I glanced down at my cell phone, sighing at the time.

I recognized a few people from my flight, including the gorgeous eyed man. Giggling, I shook my head. If only Heather was here, we could giggle and watch him, just like we did with R.J. in orchestra or Matt in the hallway. Unfortunately, Heather was back in England and I was here alone. All I could do was silently giggle on my own, which really just made me look ridiculous.

Thankfully, I had an American passport and citizenship papers, even if my birth certificate was Iraqi. I always received strange looks, especially when I was with my parents and after almost twenty years, I should be used to it, but I wasn't.

My parents adopted me when I was just an infant from Iraq. A few months ago, after my brother passed away, I had hired a Private Investigator to research my family. He discovered that my mother had died while giving birth to me and my father put me up for adoption. I had two older brothers, Sayid who was thirty-seven and Omer who was forty, a sister-in-law Nadia along with a niece Eva and a nephew Sam. I hadn't contacted any of them yet and I was really nervous to do so. What if they didn't want anything to do with me? After seeing Sayid on the plane, I was more motivated than ever to find them. I knew Nadia and Omer lived in LA, maybe Sayid was visiting them.

After making my way through customs, I headed towards the elevators and out to the parking lot to wait for Dad. He was meeting me outside Gate 16 and I could go home for a few days before returning to my flat. I was taking my classes on-line, and couldn't wait to start the new semester in January.

I stepped off to the side and leaned against a wall, dialing Daddy's cell phone number to make sure he was here. _"Hello?" _He answered and I smiled, dropping my backpack onto the ground next to my suitcase.

"Hey Daddy, I'm here. Where are you?"

"_You've already been through customs and the baggage claim?"_

"Yes, I'm just getting ready to head outside. I wanted to make sure you were here first."

"_I'll meet you in the main lobby downstairs. Do you remember where I dropped you off?"_

Rolling my eyes, I smiled into the phone. "Yeah, I remember. I'll see you soon. Love you."

"_Love you, Kalie."_ The phone clicked and I stuffed it back into my well-travelled purse. After taking a quick glance around, I hoisted my backpack onto my shoulders, grabbed my suitcase handle and headed off through the airport.

It was crowded and I brushed by people towards the elevator. They were in the far corner, but thankfully, only a few people stood by waiting.I walked up to the elevators and waited in line for the doors to open. When they did, the man in front of me remained in his place, staring at the wall."Excuse me," I said quietly, motioning towards the elevator.

"Of yes, of course." Turning, he gestured for me to enter, but I couldn't. Sayid Jarrah, my biological brother was standing in front of me. "I'm sorry, but do I know you?" He asked, looking at me curiously.

"No," I said, shaking my head quickly before stepping into the elevator. He stepped in behind me, standing against the right wall. I pressed the button for the main lobby and watched as the doors closed in front of me.

"You look very familiar…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "I am sorry." He turned to the doors, staring straight ahead.

I looked at his back, taking in his profile. His hair was longer than the picture, nearly down to his shoulders, black and curly, and similar to mine. He was handsome, more so than in his picture. I wanted to speak to him, to tell him who I was, but I couldn't. I could never be sure that he wanted to meet me.

I started to open my mouth, to introduce myself but I was frozen. The elevator dinged and he stepped out, turning to smile at me before walking down towards a car. That was as close as I would ever be to my biological family. It was amazing to be that close. I would have almost said it was a coincidence, but I tried not to believe in such things. Everything happened for a reason, even if we didn't see it immediately.

Slowly, I headed out through the airport to the parking lot, seeing Daddy before he saw me. After a week, I was certainly glad to see him. Dragging my suitcase behind me, I walked quickly through the doors and outside. "Dad!" I called, waving in his direction.

A grin spread across his face and he met me halfway, wrapping his arms around me and hugging tightly. "Good to see you, Kalie. Ashton and I certainly missed you."

"I'm glad to be home. Now, where's the car so we can get out of this crowded airport?" He took my suitcase handle and led me out of the airport and to the parking garage. We walked passed the taxi lines and across the road. Daddy and I walked in near silence, and I found it almost strange to be walking with him. It was almost as if I hadn't seen him in such a long time, much longer than a week.

Daddy popped the boot and tossed my suitcase inside. I climbed in the passenger seat and snapped on my seatbelt before resting my head against the seat and closing my eyes. Only a few minutes and we'd be home. The ground would stop shaking and moving, and I could be still. "I just need to make a quick stop down by the marina," Daddy said, sliding into the driver's seat. "Then we can head home."

"Okay," I said quietly, my eyes still closed. "I'm just going to nap; jet lag's a nightmare. Wake me up when we're home."

"Will do," he said with a chuckle.

Daddy turned on the ignition and slowly backed up. I focused on the soft radio station playing. It was some old Beatles song, one I knew every word to, as did Ashton. I hummed along as we drove, stopping at all the lights and navigating through the heavy LA traffic.

Finally the car stopped and I opened my eyes, looking around the marina. "I just need to bring some forms to one of the boats. I'll be right back." Daddy opened his door and slid out, shutting it behind him.

I sat up and looked around, scanning the crowds. It was quiet and peaceful. Against my better judgment, I opened my car door and stepped out, breathing in the fresh, salty air. When we moved from a small suburb outside London, I thought I would hate living by the ocean, and I did for nearly a year. But one day I woke up and stepped outside, really happy that I could smell the ocean.

I walked to the front of the car and sat on the hood, watching the people work on their boats. One day I was going to have a boat and whom ever I married would take long boat trips with me. I smiled at the thought, leaning back and shutting my eyes.

A loud screeching sound forced me to open my eyes and look around. A car was barreling towards the water. I screamed as the car broke through the gate and crashed into the water. I was frozen for a moment, staring at the sinking car, before jumping off the hood and racing around to get my cell phone out of my purse. My fingers fumbled as I dialed 911. _"911, please state the nature of your emergency._

"Yes, hi. I'm at the Long Beach marina. A car just drove into the water. I can't tell if anyone's alive."

"_What is your name?" _

"Kalie Carlyle… Walker. Kalie Walker, at the Long Beach Marina."

"_Okay Ms. Walker, we have a car on the way."_

"Thank you. Can I hang up now? Or should I stay on the line?"

"_You're all set."_

I hung up the phone and shoved it into my pocket. Why, for the second time, did I give the last name Carlyle?

As soon as I got off the phone, I ran to the waterfront. I couldn't make out anyone. Should I jump in? I wasn't a strong swimmer, and I doubted I would do much good. "Oh my God!" Two men emerged from the water and I raced forward, bending down to help pull them out.

I took the younger man's hand and tried to hoist him onto the concrete. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't figure out how I knew him. "We've got it, miss," someone said from behind me and when I looked up, I found a police officer and a paramedic.

Wiping my hands on my now soaked jeans, I stepped back and climbed up to the ground, leaving the situation to the professionals. Daddy was waiting by the car, looking around in confusion. "Kalie! Where have you been?" He asked, his voice filled with worry.

"A…a car went over into the water. I… I called the police and tried to pull them out…" I was stuttering and my hands were shaking.

"Ms. Walker? Ms. Kalie Walker?"

I turned and was met with two police officers. "Y…yeah, that's me," I replied softly, backing up so that I was leaning against the car.

"We just have a few questions for you. You were witness to the crash?"

I nodded, my hands still shaking against the car.

"Did you notice anything out of the ordinary before the crash? A car horn? Anything?"

I answered the officer's questions, all the while sneaking glances at my father. He looked worried and I couldn't blame him. "All right, Ms. Walker, thank you. If we have any further questions, we'll get in touch with you."

"Thank you," my dad said, opening the passenger car door.

I slid in, clipping my seatbelt and resting my head against the headrest once again. My eyes closed and I waited for Daddy to slide in the car. I heard his door shut and waited for the fussing. "What did you think you were doing?" Dad asked quietly. Sometimes, it was worse when he spoke softly.

"I was trying to help. I…" I trailed off, shrugging my shoulders. "Daddy, I'm sorry. I just wanted to help. If my car went off into the marina, I'd want someone to help me."

"Kalie, I know you want to help, but sometimes… you just need to leave it to other people."

"Okay," I said softly. "I will, next time."

* * *

**AN: Well? What do you think? I was so surprised at how many reviews I got for the last chapter. Thank you so much! If I didn't reply to you, it's cause I really haven't been at my computer for the past week and a half. Thanks to: the_werewolf_gal, panizagloba, AngelwithDirtyThoughts, LuliCullen, CaptJessicaSparrow, Maiqu, hodhod2011danger, tntlostfan, SimplyMarvy, and JacDanvers for your reviews on the last chapter.**

**Let me know what you think. Thanks so much for reading!**


	25. I believe you

**Chapter 25: I believe you, Day 2**

After my eventful afternoon, Dad and I settled in at home with Ashton. Dad cooked dinner and Ashton and I washed the dishes. It felt like I never left. Ashton didn't seem thrilled to see me, but I knew he was. I mean, I missed him; shouldn't he miss his only sister?

I didn't have much rest time after my flight. I was due at the museum for 10 o'clock the next morning to continue work on my internship. My boss, Dr. Pierre Chang, had me helping to plan a benefit concert for the museum. It was one of the more glamorous parts of the job, as I'd already spoken to the booking agent of the band _Drive Shaft_. I'll admit it; I loved their hit _You All Everybody,_ even if it is a bit repetitive.

I needed a caffeine fix before I headed to work. Jet lag was a pain in the…well, you know. I walked into the coffee shop and looked around. The place was filled with blonde college students, and as usual, I didn't fit in. The Middle Eastern girl doesn't fit in very well in California. I didn't recognize anyone, but that wasn't new. Even though I had lived here for years now, I barely knew anyone.

"Kalie?" I turned at the sound of my name, not recognizing the voice. "Kalie Walker?" A man stood in front of me, his bright blue eyes sparkling. I had the feeling that I knew him, I just couldn't place from where. Shouldn't I recognize those eyes?

"How do you know my name? Do I know you?" I knew I didn't recognize him, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew him. Maybe I'd run into him on the bus or around campus.

He smiled a really cute smile where one side of his lips was raised higher than the other and chuckled softly. "Yes, well, no."

"Which is it?"

He glanced at the queue in front of the register before looking back at me. "Would you like to join me for a coffee? My treat and I promise to tell you."

I glanced around the shop again, not nearly as nervous as I should be when a stranger offers me coffee. But then again,it was a public place, what harm could it do? There were maybe a dozen or so patrons in the room, so it wasn't like we were alone."Sure," I said after a moment's hesitation.

His smile spread into a grin and he led me to a table in the corner, isolated and practically hidden behind a fake tree. "What can I get you?"

"A small mocha."

Flashing the smile again, he nodded and headed off to the queue. I kept a careful eye on him, making sure he hadn't dropped anything in my cup. I didn't think it was overreacting, I didn't even know this man's name.

I watched him from behind the plant, taking the time to really look at him. He was taller than me, though that wasn't saying much as I was only 5'4", and he had brown hair that fell in such a graceful way. Why could this man want to talk to me? He looked so put together, so handsome, definitely not the kid of guy that would want to talk to me. Where did I know him from?

He walked back to the table, sliding a cup across to me."I'm sorry, but I don't even know your name," I said when he sat down. Wrapping my hands around the warm cup, I looked up at him. Gosh, he was gorgeous.

"Oh, of course," he said, holding out his hand with yet another smile. "I'm Boone, Boone Carlyle."

The name struck a chord, Carlyle, but I couldn't… I used that name twice. Why? Did it have anything to do with him? Did I know him, but forget? "Nice to meet you," I said softly, shaking his hand. "So…" Taking a sip of his coffee, Boone grinned. His constant smiling was starting to get annoying. "Are you planning on telling me how I'm supposed to know you?"

"You really don't remember me?" His voice sounded sad and I thought again, tryingto come up with any place I might have met him. How could I forget someone as gorgeous as him? And furthermore, why would someone as gorgeous as him want to talk to me?

I shook my head, "no. Should I?" If he didn't explain some time soon, I was out of here. I didn't have time to waste sitting in the coffee shop, even if it meant not staring at him any longer.

"Well for starters, we were on the same flight from Sydney." A light bulb clicked. Now I remembered where I knew him from. I bumped into him as we were exiting the plane. "You remember that, right?"

"I bumped into you on the plane. But I don't remember ever telling you my name."

"Yeah, you didn't. Now, Kalie, this is going to sound weird, but do you believe in love at first sight? Or soul mates?"

He looked completely serious, but I couldn't stop the laughter. "Soul mates? I can honestly say I've never heard that pick-up line before." Leaning back in my chair, I took a sip of the coffee, still smiling. Did he think that would catch my attention? Though I'll admit, it worked.

The smile was gone from his face and now he looked worried, sad even. "It's not a line. I'm being completely serious."

I paused and he didn't look like he was joking. "You're serious? You really believe in love at first sight?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense. You bumped into me on the plane and… I don't know. It was like I suddenly had all these memories, of you and me… and this island."

I raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. "An island? We were on an island? Why don't I remember any of this?"

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "But I remember you and other people from our flight, like the guy I was talking to a couple seats away from me. I think there was a plane crash and we were trapped there, on the island."

"And I was there?"

"Yeah." He reached forward and took my hands in his, our cups of coffee abandoned on the table next to us. "And we liked each other," he added with a smile.

Now that was hard to believe. Boone, this gorgeous man, liked me? And we were 'together?' "I… I don't remember any of this."

Boone's hand squeezed mine and he smiled. "But do you believe me? That we know each other, even if you don't know how?"

I stared into his eyes for a moment, getting lost in their blue depths. Did I believe him? Strangely, yes I did. "I… yeah. I think I do."

A large smile spread across his face. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." He squeezed my hand and I couldn't help but smile back. I had to be losing my marbles. This was outrageous!

We sat just staring at each other for a moment. Maybe it all was true, because I couldn't shake the feeling that I did know him. "Can I walk you out to your car?"

"Umm, sure." I picked my purse up from the table and tossed my now cold coffee into a nearby trashcan. He reached over and took my hand in his, holding tightly. It was a nice feeling, comforting.

He walked me out to the car and I clicked the button twice, unlocking the back door. After tossing my purse onto the floorboards and shutting the door, I turned and looked back up at him. "Well…" I said, trailing off. Where did we go from here?

"Can I have your number?" He asked softly, his voice shaking like he was unsure of the answer. "I'd like to call you and I think I'd like to get to know you a lot better than I do now." He leaned in, his right hand coming up to caress my cheek. I could feel his breath on my lips the closer he came and I stopped breathing, staring up at him.

Was I going to let him kiss me? I had only known him for an hour… not including the few minutes on the mind was empty and I doubted I could form a coherent thought even if I tried. I closed my eyes just as his lips brushed mine. They were soft and molded around mine…

Flashes flew through my mind, like clips from a movie, but they were from what seemed to be my life. I saw him, Boone, sitting next to me on a beach. Another one showed him straddling me as his fingers tickled my sides and I laughed loudly. The next was of us curled up in a tent, his arms wrapped tightly around me, holding me close to his body. I felt happy, safe and I knew I loved him.

I saw him lying lifeless on a stretcher and wrapped in a tarp as we buried him.

Startled, I pulled back, taking a few deep breaths to slow my heart. "What the bloody hell…?" I said, holding on to the car, the metalhot under my hands.

"What?" He looked around quickly before shifting his glance back at me. "What happened?"

"I… I don't know." Images had flashed through my mind as soon as his lips hit mine. I couldn't even sort through all of them, they moved so fast. "I… I think I just remembered…"

"Did you? What did you remember?"

"I need to sit down." I opened my driver's door and sat down, watching as he knelt in front of me. My hands were shaking and I clasped them tightly in my lap. "I saw you and me…" I'd been crying and I knew he had died. Did he know that? Did he know I cried when he died?

"You remembered?"

I had a headache and I dropped my head to my hand, only looking up at him for a moment. "Did it come in flashes for you? Like small scenes from your life?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "It was just scenes, small moments, but I know how I felt. I knew what I was thinking and what I wanted to do."

"I think I need to get to work." I turned toward the center console and pulled out a pen and small notebook. Quickly, I scribbled my name, address and cell number. "Call me," I said, handing him the paper. "I live near the UCLA dorms, but my dad has a house in Meiners Oaks, in Ventura County."

"I'll call you," he said, looking down at my number. "Bye 'Li." He stood up and lightly kissed my forehead before walking back into the coffee shop. The nickname, it sounded so familiar. I could almost hear him calling me that before. I was hit with another memory, the morning before he died if I remembered correctly._"Go back to sleep. I'll try to come back early today." He kissed me again and smiled. "Sleep 'Li."_

I turned my legs and slid completely into the car, closing the door and locking it tight. What the bloody hell just happened? Did I really know him? Or did he put something in my coffee that just made me remember?

It all felt real, everything from the kisses to holding his hand as he died. I remembered other things too, another man…Miles and being a teacher. I remembered two beautiful children and dying. It wasn't a complete picture, more like a puzzle that's missing the majority of the pieces. It was so strange, but so real.

Turning the key, I started the car and slowly drove off. I drove in circles, not wanting to head to work and face my boss. Dr Chang was terrific, but there was no way he'd understand. Heck, I didn't even understand.

Why did I suddenly have all these… memories? I had never met that man, Boone, before, why did I remember kissing him? Why did I remember sitting next to him as he died?

When I couldn't postpone work any longer, I was already twenty minutes late; I pulled into an empty parking spot and clipped on my nametag. I caught sight of my reflection in the rearview mirror. My eyes still looked older, why?

"I don't have time to worry about this," I said to the reflection as I opened the door.

Rushing into the museum, I deposited my purse in my locker and headed out to the museum floor. I had a few hours behind the information desk before heading to my 'office' to finalize plans for the concert.

It must have been my lucky day, because no one noticed I was late. I settled in at the desk, smoothing my skirt and adjusting my nametag as I waited for my first guest. For a Thursday, the museum wasn't busy. I expected a lot more people… more people to keep my mind off what I experienced that morning.

What was that? What had I experienced? I couldn't help but believe that those things happened; it was too real not to believe.

I glanced up, scanning the small crowd. One man was standing alone, just standing. I slid out of my rolling chair and made my way over to him. "Can I help you, sir?" I asked, tapping the man on the shoulder. "You look lost."

"Oh no," he replied with a smile, "I'm all right. Thank you though."

"Okay, well if you need help, I'll be right over at the information desk." Smiling again, I turned and walked bask to the desk. So much for something to alleviate my boredom.

All I had left to do was finalize the program for the concert. I looked down at the paper, double checking the spelling. "Excuse me, but may I ask you a question?" I looked up and was greeted by the man from a few minutes ago.

"Yes, of course." I closed the program and looked up, putting on my best helpful smile. "What can I help you with?"

"I know this is going to sound odd, but were you on Oceanic flight 815?"

I narrowed my eyes slightly, wondering how he could possibly know that. "Yes, I was. Why do you ask?"

"I was on that flight as well. I recognized you from the plane. So you work here?"

"Yes," I said, still suspicious. I wasn't going to give him too much personal information, who knew if he was a mad man.

"Ah, it's very nice. I come to L.A. quite often, and hadn't been here yet."

Nodding, I forced a smile. "Yeah, it is quite nice. I'm enjoying my internship."

I looked back down at my papers, wondering if he had left yet. "Do you mind if I ask why you were in Australia? I was there for business."

"I was on holiday," I said shortly, hoping that maybe he would go away and I would have my free time to finish my work.

"Fun. Well, I'll let you get back to work. Nice talking to you," he said with a smile. "Oh, I'm Desmond by the way." Holding out his hand, I had to take a second look. For a moment, I thought I knew him.

"Kalie," I replied. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask." I looked back down at my papers and when I glanced up once again, he was gone. "Thank goodness," I breathed with a smile.

Throughout the remainder of the afternoon, I managed to finish the program and leave it on Dr. Chang's desk. Only a few more patrons asked questions and I gave suckers to a few children.

When I finally finished my shift, I stepped outside the museum into the bright California sunshine. It was warm, nearly 80* and I pulled my sunglasses from my purse, slipping them over my eyes. Now what should I do with the rest of my day?

I walked out to my car and clicked the button, unlocking the doors. Just as I slid into the driver's seat, my cell phone rang. I pulled it from my purse and looked down at the Caller I.D. I didn't recognize the number, but opted to answer anyway. Maybe it was Publisher's Clearing House and I won the grand prize. "Hello?"

"_Kalie? Kalie Walker?"_

"Yes, who is this?" The voice sounded familiar, but I wasn't sure.

"_It's Boone Carlyle. We met earlier at the coffee shop? I hope you don't mind that I called."_

A smile spread across my face and I had to suppress a giggle. He was calling me! "No, not at all," I said, hoping I didn't sound too silly over the phone. "How are you?"

He chuckled and I felt my cheeks blush brilliant pink. _"I'm good. So, I was wondering, what are you doing tonight? Do you have plans?"_

"Well, I'm having dinner with my father…"

"_Tomorrow then? Lunch?"_

"Lunch sounds great."

There was a pause on the other end of the line and I thought for a moment he might have changed his mind. _"That's great. Can I pick you up at your house? Say around 12:30?"_

"That sounds great. See you then?"

"_Yeah, see you then."_

"Oh, Boone. I believe you."

* * *

**AN: Hooray! Boone! Don't get me wrong, I love Miles, but Boone will always be my first _Lost_ love. And for the Miles fans, don't worry, he'll be back again soon. Was it everything you hoped for? Did you want it to go differently? Did you hate it? Do you want me to stop asking questions? *insert grin***

**Thank you to: Chiquitabananas, hodhod2011danger, JacDanvers, LuliCullen, The Submarine, the_werewolf_gal, Maiqu and PaperBooksInk for reviewing the previous chapters.**

**Dharma Stories will be updated soon, I'm just finishing the next chapter. There are only two chapters left, so if you wanted to review, do it now! Thanks so much for reading and leaving one! I love you all!**


	26. Final Preparations

**Chapter 26: Final Preparations, Day 3**

I went into work the next morning, my mind still on Boone. More memories crossed my mind, both happy and sad. I remembered nearly everything that happened on the island, and off. I remembered Charlie and Claire, traipsing through the jungle a dozen or more times, Juliet's death, flying off the island. I remembered marrying Miles and having my two children, Juliet and Charlie.

"We're all set, Dr. Chang," I said, peeking my head into his office. "Everything is finalized. All we need to do tomorrow is show up."

He looked up from his desk, a large smile on his face. "Thank you, Kalie. You did a great job with this. Make sure you put it on your resume, I'll be sure to vouch for you."

"Thank you. I'm going home for the day. I'll be there tomorrow night to help."

"Thanks again. Take care." He looked back down at the papers on his desk and I took my leave.

After a quick glance at my watch, I headed out of the museum toward my car. I had an hour to get myself ready for lunch with Boone. We were going to lunch, an actual lunch with him. Not sitting on the beach with sand in our boar meat or mangoes.

Somehow, I made it home in one piece, even though my hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. No horns blared and no one waved with only one finger. Considering this was L.A., getting home in one piece was an accomplishment.

I dropped my purse onto the counter and headed up the stairs. What should I wear? Were jeans too casual? A dress too formal? I stared into my closet, unable to decide what I wanted to put on. I pulled out item after item and tossed them onto my bed. Nothing looked right.

Finally, after twenty minutes of staring into my closet and sorting through items, I settled on my denim skirt and purple blouse, similar to the one I had in Dharmaville. I brushed my long black hair and quickly applied a little make-up. Rather than go with lipstick, I grabbed my lip gloss and headed to the living room.

I hadn't made it three steps when someone knocked on the door. Turning quickly, I stared down the hallway. He was here.

"Coming!" I yelled, taking one last glance in the mirror. My hair had turned frizzy in the humidity of the day and no matter what I tried, it wouldn't lie flat. I brushed it one last time and tossed the brush onto the counter.

I raced from the bathroom and out toward the door. After a quick glance through the peephole, I turned the lock and pulled open the door. "Hi," I said softly, a large smile spreading across my face. My cheeks blushed bright pink and I bit my lip, hoping I didn't look like a fool.

"Hi," he replied with the little half smile I had come to love so much on the island. "Do you mind if we take a detour before lunch? I have to pick my sister up from the airport."

"Shannon?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "She… she doesn't remember, does she?"

Since remembering everything that happened on the island, I couldn't help but wonder about all my other friends. What about Miles and Juliet? Dr. Chang didn't remember, otherwise I'm sure he would have mentioned it to me. What about James? One of my last memories of being alive was of James.

"No, not yet. Hurley made me call her and get her back here. It was like pulling teeth, let me tell you…" he trailed off, possibly seeing the look on my face. "What's wrong? Surely she still doesn't hate you."

I smiled, shaking my head. "No, we actually got along after… I was just thinking about everyone else. You said Hurley, does he remember?"

"Yeah, he's working on Sayid and Kate. So, shall we hit the road? You know Shannon'll be upset if I'm late."

"Let me just grab my purse." I crossed the room and pulled it off the counter. Biting my lip, I turned and forced a smile. "All right, I'm ready."

Boone held out his hand and I took it, letting him lead me out the door. His hand was warm and soft, not at all like I remembered from the island. There, it had been dirty and cracked; his hands dry from working with Locke in the jungle. I didn't want to let him go.

I quickly looked the door and followed him out to his car. It was gorgeous. I'm not known for my car knowledge, but I knew it was a BMW convertible and it was baby blue in color. It probably cost what I would make in a year as a teacher. "Do you like it?" He asked, opening the passenger door so I could slide in.

"It's… beautiful." After clicking my seatbelt, I kept my purse on my lap and stayed as still as possible. With my luck, I'd track mud or something in and dirty up the gorgeous inside.

"You look nice sitting there," he said with a smile as he slid into the driver's seat. He didn't turn on the car like I expected, instead he turned toward me. "I can't believe you're here next to me. I've wanted to talk to you for days now, but Hurley told me it wasn't time yet."

Glancing over at him, I smiled sadly. "Me too. You have no idea how much I missed you."

We stayed that way, just staring at each other. It was nearly silent in the parking lot; the only sound was the echo of cars down the interstate. He leaned in and kissed me gently, his hand coming up to caress my cheek.

"We need to get going," he whispered against my lips. "Shannon's gonna kill me."

He kissed me again before pulling away and turning the key in the ignition. I looked out the window, my fingers tracing my lips. I could still feel him kissing me and I blushed with the memory. "Do you mind if I put the top down?"

"No, not at all. I've never actually ridden in a convertible." Reaching up, I tied my hair in a sloppy ponytail as the top folded back.

"God, I missed you," he said, after backing out of the parking spot and turning onto the main road.

"Me too," I said, quietly thinking back. "It was a long eighteen years."

I caught a glance out of the corner of his eye. "Eighteen years? I can't wait to hear about what happened. But that'll have to wait for lunch."

We fell silent and I stared the side of the car, my ponytail blowing in the wind. All the while we drove, I couldn't hold back the excited feeling. I was here with him, exactly where I wanted to be.

But on the other side of things, I wanted Miles. I spent nearly eighteen years with him, and I truly did love him. Not more than Boone, but in a different way. We were stranded there, stuck on that God-forsaken island eight years before I was born. We came together in a mutually awful situation.

"Kalie? Kalie. Are you listening?" I shook my head slightly and turned in my seat. "I've been trying to get your attention for a minute now. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, sorry. Guess I got lost in my thoughts. Are we at the airport?" I looked around and then heard the airplane fly overhead. "Guess that answers my question. Well, do we need to get Shannon or not?"

I forced a grin and unbuckled my seatbelt. "Yeah, her plane should be here soon."

He hit a button and the roof moved back over the car. Grabbing my purse, I opened the door and slid out. I shifted it onto my shoulder and smiled when he stepped around the car and slid his hand into mine. "Let's go get her," he said with a smile, leading me into the airport.

"She's supposed to meet me right here." We stopped near a Starbucks and sat down in a couple chairs. "Don't be surprised if she's sarcastic and rude when you see… wait, I'm forgetting you already know all that."

"She got better," I said softly. "We might have become friends if she hadn't died."

"How did that happen? Hurley wouldn't tell me."

I looked down at our hands, intertwined and resting in my lap. I slid my hand from his and spread it out on my thigh, tracing his fingers like a child would when drawing a turkey for Thanksgiving. "We launched the raft three days after you died. Michael, Walt, Jin and James were on it, but the Others destroyed the raft and took Walt. Shannon died a week after you. She said she saw Walt in the jungle and ran off after him. Sayid went after her, but… she was shot. By one of the Tail section survivors. Ana thought Shannon was an 'Other.'"

"Tail section? There were survivors from the Tail section? How many were there? Where were they?" He flipped his hand over and I ran my fingers along the lines. Maybe I could learn palmistry?

"Libby said they had twenty-two. They crashed on the other side of the island, by where _They_ were. Ethan's people. The Others terrorized them and forced them to live in fear. By the time they joined us, there were only four… and three of them didn't survive long…" I trailed off, thinking back.

"Hey there, Bone-head." Shannon's voice carried over to us and he pulled his hand from mine. Immediately I felt the lack of warmth. "Long time no see."

He crossed the short distance and took the bag from her hand, his arm wrapping around her in a quick hug. "Hey Shan, it's nice to see you too."

They walked over to where I was still sitting. "Who's this? Did you get a girlfriend?" Shannon asked, and I fought the strange urge to jump up and hug her. I missed her, as odd as it sounded.

"Shannon, this is Kalie. We met on the plane," he said with a small grin. Boone reached out his hand and I took it, standing up. "Kalie, this is my step-sister Shannon."

"It's nice to meet you," I said, struggling to hold back the smile that wanted to cross my lips. He called her his 'step-sister.' I don't believe I had ever heard those words come out of his mouth.

"Yeah, sure. So, can we get out of here?"

"Yeah, let's go." Boone took Shannon's suitcase and led the way out of the airport. He didn't hold my hand, and I didn't expect him to, not with Shannon around. I knew that he wasn't in love with her now, but I couldn't get my mind to realize that.

We walked out and to his car. Shannon slid into the front seat and I climbed into the backseat, behind Boone. "I'm going to drop you off at my apartment, Shan, and let you get settled. Kalie and I have lunch plans."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Why did I need to come back so quick anyway? Couldn't I have just stayed in Australia? Brian and I were having fun." I watched her pick at her brightly colored nail polish, smiling as I remembered our first night on the island.

"I… I'll tell you later," he said with a nod toward the backseat. Shannon glanced at me and nodded. I should have minded being used as an excuse, but I really didn't. If he wanted to blame it on me, go for it. Maybe it'll give him time to think of a really good excuse.

Boone drove down roads in L.A. that I had never been down. We were in the ritzy section of town, a section I had no need to ever be in. I wasn't rich enough, didn't have the connections.

"Okay Shan, I'll be back later," he said as he pulled up in front of tall building. He handed her a key and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine. You can't bring my bag up?"

She was as prissy as she was on the island. Boone glanced back at me and rolled his eyes so Shannon couldn't see. "Sure. Kalie, I'll be right back. You can slide up to the front seat if you want."

We all climbed out of the car and I walked around to the passenger seat. Boone and Shannon walked into the building, leaving me out in the beautiful car. When I was younger, I wanted a car like this; only mine was going to be a Corvette, a baby blue Corvette, 1962.

"Sorry about that. You know how she is," he said with a shrug as he slid into the driver's seat. "So, lunch?"

"Sounds great," I replied softly. My hands were clasped in my lap and I twirled my ring around my finger.

"I've got the perfect place." He turned the ignition and we backed up, heading down the road.

He pulled up outside a small sandwich shop. "What would you like? Or do you want to come in?"

"I'll stay here. Umm, just a tuna salad, please," I said softly, smiling over at him.

"Tuna salad it is." He moved to open his door before turning back, a small smile on his face. His hand came up, brushing a lock of hair from my eyes. Slowly, he leaned in, his lips brushing against mine. "I'll be right back," he whispered, his breath tickling my lips.

I smiled to myself as he slid out of the car and walked into the shop. I could not get over the fact that we were here… together.

"All right," he said when he returned a few minutes later, a bag in one hand and two sodas in the other. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, ready when you are."

I sat in silence as drove around L.A. Again, we went through neighborhoods I had never visited. We pulled into a park and Boone parked the car. From the trunk, he pulled out a blanket. I grabbed the bag of food and two sodas, and followed him to a grassy patch under an old oak tree.

Slipping off my shoes, I tucked my legs underneath me and smoothed out my skirt. Boone handed me my sandwich and a bottle of soda before sitting cross-legged on the blanket.

We were silent; the only sounds in the park were the kids playing on the playground and the crinkle of our sandwich wrappers. I took a bite and chewed quietly, unsure of what to say to break the silence. Should we be this awkward? "How's your sandwich?" Boone asked, placing his carefully on the wrapper.

"It's good," I replied with a smile, keeping my eyes focused on the sandwich.

"So, why don't you tell me about your eighteen years? You were only," he paused, "thirty-seven when you died?"

Startled, my head snapped up. Was I ready to talk about it all? Was he ready to hear it?

I looked down at my lunch and bit my lip. "I… we were stuck on the island for another three years. You wouldn't believe most of it if I told you, but somehow, through some weird time travel, a few of us ended up in 1974. By that time, there were only three of us left from the original plane crash. Some people got off, six, including Claire's baby. Sawyer, Jin and I, along with three other people who came to the island were stuck in the '70's."

"The 1970's? With bellbottoms and…AC/DC?"

Shaking my head, I laughed softly. "Yeah, vinyl records and all. We joined this group called the Dharma Initiative; they're the ones who built that Hatch you… The Hatch that you and Locke found. Sawyer, Jin and Miles joined security, Dan went to Ann Arbor with the scientists, Juliet joined the Motor Pool and I went to the school. It was nice. We had houses and friends.

"I… I started seeing someone else, about a year after we got there. He had been sent to the island to find Ben." Boone opened his mouth to question, but I shook my head. "Ben was in charge of the Others. Miles got stuck with us when we time travelled.

"Again, we time travelled to 2007 and somehow managed to get off the island. Seven of us made it. Someone faked the discovery of our plane, so everyone thought we were all dead. I don't know how we did it, but we managed to convince everyone that we were still alive. All I know is that money changed hands and I got to see my Dad and brother again."

I stopped talking and looked up with tears in my eyes. "You finally got off the island?" He asked softly, avoiding my eyes.

"And had a family."

"You married this… Miles person?" He asked with a look that I couldn't determine.

"Yeah, in 2008. We had two children, Charlie and Juliet. I… I got Ovarian Cancer."

The park was silent save the birds chirping in the trees. "I'm sorry, Kalie," he said after a few moments of silence.

"I missed you, every day. When we were on the island, and in the right time period, I'd go and sit by your grave. I…I lost so many people on that bloody island. You, Shannon, Sayid, Charlie, Adam, Jin, Sun… not to mention everyone else."

"Hey," he said softly, sliding over to sit next to me. His arm wrapped around my shoulder and pulled me close. "It's okay." I buried my face in his shoulder and let the tears fall. I hugged him tightly, smiling as his lips brushed my forehead. "Don't worry; you're okay now. We're together and everything is fine."

He kissed my forehead and smoothed out my hair as my tears subsided. "Is your… is Miles here?" He asked when I had stopped sobbing.

I pulled back slowly, wiping the tears from my eyes. So much for my makeup, I should just have been thankful not to have worn mascara. "I… I haven't seen him yet. I'm sure he's here somewhere, I work for his dad at the museum."

"His dad?"

"Yes, Dr. Chang. He was on the island too and worked for the Dharma Initiative. Miles was actually born on the island, while we were there. It was… strange," I said with a smile. "I didn't know all that until afterward. He never told me."

Boone was silent, though his arm was still on my shoulder. "You… you don't need to find him, do you?" His voice shook, as if he was scared of the answer.

I shook my head, smiling up at him. "No, I'm right where I need to be. I'm supposed to be with you, not him."

"You're sure?"

Leaning in towards him, I closed my eyes and kissed him gently. "You helped me remember… not Miles, you. You're the one I'm meant for." I looked up into his eyes, bright blue and sparkling.

A wide grin spread across his face and he kissed me, his fingers tangling in my hair. Tears of happiness filled my eyes and slid down my cheeks. For the first time in eighteen years, I was with my first love.

* * *

**AN: Thank you so much to: AngelwithDirtyThoughts, chiquitabananas, The Submarine, JacDanvers, hodhod2011danger, CaptJessicaSparrow, Maiqu, PaperBooksInk, LuliCullen and CharmedGirl92 for reviewing the previous chapter. I can't even explain how happy it makes me to find a review in my inbox. I heart all of you, even those of you who read but don't review.**

**There is one chapter after this one and it's almost finished being written. I don't believe it's almost the end! Expect a long author's note at the end of the next chapter. Thanks so much to all of you for reading, reviewing and just being awesome. Thank you!**


	27. Finally, The End

**Chapter 27: The End, Day 4**

Dressed in my best black dress, I stepped up to the main gate with a smile. "Hi, Kalie Walker. I work with Dr. Chang," I said to the man holding the guest list. I held up my All-Access pass for good measure.

"Yes, here you are. Go right in, Ms. Walker." He checked my name off the list and stepped aside.

"Thank you." Walking past him, I entered the garden. Everything was set up and looked beautiful. The waiters were walking around with trays of champagne and lights twinkled in the bushes and trees.

My cell phone vibrated in my purse and I pulled it out, smiling at the number flashing on the screen. "Hi," I said when I opened the phone. Stepping off to the side, I stood next to twinkling bushes.

"_Hi yourself. Where are you? At the concert?"_

"Yes, I just got here. Haven't seen anyone yet though. Did you get Shannon and Sayid?"

"_Yeah. We just got to the church. I'll see you soon, right?"_

Smiling, I nodded. "Very soon. Bye, Boone."

"_Bye, 'Li." _I closed the phone and slid it back into my purse. I couldn't wait to see him again, even though it had only been a few hours.

This was merely a formality. Jack, Kate, Charlie and Claire didn't remember yet, and I wanted to do whatever I could to help that along. I gazed around the garden, not paying attention to where I was walking. "Oh, excuse me," I said, blushing. "I should really watch where I'm walking."

"Oh, no matter," the woman replied. I looked up at her brilliant red hair, Charlotte. "Oh, Kalie! Good thing I found you. Could you make sure the band is ready? I haven't seen the bass player yet."

"Sure," I said with a smile. She didn't remember yet either. She would… soon. Probably around the same time as Miles. I wondered if she'd met Daniel yet.

I headed backstage to where the Green Room was set up. There he was, passed out on the couch. "Oh, Charlie," I whispered, a sad smile on my lips. He was still a drug addict, but that would change soon.

Kneeling down next to him, I brushed his cheek. "I miss you. You'll join us soon enough." Standing up, I gently kissed his forehead.

It took a minute, but I found a blank sheet of paper and a marker. _Bass player. Wake me for show, _I wrote. I placed it on his shirt. Hopefully he wouldn't roll over and rip the note. "Bye, Charlie," I said softly, walking away for him.

I needed to find my table.

Making my way through the crowd, I looked for table twenty-eight. I stepped on someone's toe and I swear I had my bum pinched, but finally found my table. "Oh no," I said softly when I realized whom I would be sitting near. Miles was sitting at the next table over.

He looked younger than I remembered, but this was supposed to be eighteen years before I died. Quickly, I struggled to remember how old he was when I met him. Twenty-seven. His hair was already graying and I found myself wanting to go over to him. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him; how much I missed him. I wanted to know what he did after I died.

Shaking my head, I pulled out my chair and sat down. I couldn't talk to him now. It wasn't his time to remember. Something important happened to him in his life that would help him remember, but I wasn't it.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. May I have your attention please? Welcome to this very special benefit concert for the Golden State Natural History Museum. I'm Dr. Pierre Chang." I applauded with the rest of the audience. Even though this wasn't 'real', I was still excited for the concert. "Thank you. I think we have quite a special evening ahead of us, so let's get to it, shall we?

"It is my pleasure to introduce you to Mr. Daniel Widmore, accompanied by Drive Shaft!" Daniel walked out on stage as did Charlie, his brother Liam and the rest of Drive Shaft. At least someone had woken him up.

Daniel started to play and I was amazed at how good he was. Was he able to play piano this well in the 'real world?'

I kept my eyes on Charlie, and I couldn't believe how much I missed him. I clearly remembered his final words to me: _I don't know what I would have done without you. I'll see you._ It was right before he swam down to the Looking Glass station, where he drowned.

He was focused on someone in the audience and I sat straighter in my chair, trying to see where he was looking. There were too many people in the way, and I couldn't see. But, just a minute later, a young blonde woman stood up and walked out passed the stage. A young blonde pregnant woman. Could it be? Another woman stood up after her. Kate?

I wanted to go after them, but… I couldn't. It wasn't my place. Charlie disappeared off stage a minute later, not before receiving death glares from his brother. They were going to remember now, all three of them. I can't explain how I knew, I just did.

I waited until the concert ended to leave. It wasn't like I was going to be late. There was no 'now' and no way for me to be late. This explained why Boone had remembered for days while me only just over twenty-four hours.

When the concert ended, I walked up to _him_, my heart pounding in my chest. I needed to say goodbye, even if he hadn't the faintest idea who I was. I took a deep breath before tapping him on the shoulder. "Detective Straume?"

There was a moment of silence, "yes," he said, turning towards me. My heart skipped as I looked into the familiar brown eyes. I wanted to hug him, kiss him, something, but I knew I couldn't, not right now. He wasn't ready to remember, not yet.

"I'm sorry, we haven't officially met, but I work at the museum with your father. I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done… for the museum," I added, trying to cover for my embarrassment. Standing on my tiptoes, I leaned up and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you," I said again, stepping back and disappearing into the crowd.

I walked a few steps away before turning back to him. He was staring at me, a confused look on his face. "I love you," I whispered, a sad smile on my face. This was the last time I would see him. I didn't know what was on the other side.

Slowly, I walked out to my car, leaving behind Kate, who was waiting around for Jack. The drive to the church was short and I hit no traffic. I parked in front and slid out of the car, leaving the doors unlocked. I wouldn't need it anymore.

I stood at the front of my car and took a deep breath. Tears filled my eyes as I looked up at the statue, arms wide open. Crossing myself, I walked up the steps to the church. "Hello, Ms. Carlyle," a voice said to the side of me.

"Hi, Ben." I smiled, remembering him calling me that so many years ago, when he was a child. "Aren't you coming in?"

"No, I'm staying here for a bit longer. From what I hear, just about everyone is inside."

He looked so… small sitting on the concrete wall, nothing at all like when I last saw him. "Bye, Ben." I walked over and gave him a quick hug. After all the things he did to us on the island, he made up for it by helping Hurley.

The island was a beautiful, peaceful place under Hurley's rule. Miles and I even went back once, just to look around and remember. We helped Ben and Hurley clean up the Barracks and make them hospitable again. Hurley was a kinder ruler than Jacob; people could come and go as they pleased.

I walked up the final flight of steps and pulled open the door. The church was alive with chatter, laughter and happiness. Boone was sitting in the last pew and I walked up as quietly as I could. "Hey there," I said softly, "fancy meeting you here."

He stood up quickly and enfolded me in his arms. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," I said with a smile. Tears filled my eyes as I looked up at him. "You look nice, too. What did you do?" I reached up, touching the bruise on his upper lip.

"I got pounded while trying to get Sayid and Shannon together."

I stood on my toes, placing a soft kiss on his bruise. "You get beaten up far too often."

"Yeah, I know."

He slipped his hand into mine and together, we walked forward into the church. Everyone smiled, laughed and hugged. It was a reunion, a happy and marvelous reunion. I hadn't seen half of them in years; more years than I could count.

I hugged Rose and Bernard, seeing them for the first time since 1977. Slipping back into Boone's arms, I grinned as tears filled my eyes. "I love you," I whispered, looking up into his brilliant blue eyes. "I've always loved you; I just wasn't ready to admit it."

"I know," Boone said, smiling down at me. "I love you too." His lips met mine and I closed my eyes, wrapping my arms around his neck. We stayed that way, our arms wrapped around each other and our lips pressed together. I had almost two decades of memories without him. Two decades that I missed him.

Don't get me wrong, I love Miles. But Boone is my soul-mate; the past few days had forced me to realize that. When Miles remembered, he would understand. I knew that he would. After I died, he had to have gone on and lived a wonderful life. He had our children and more time to have the best moments of his life. I belonged here, with my friends; he didn't.

"Get a room," a familiar voice said from behind me.

Pulling away, I bit my lip and turned around, a smile playing on my lips. "Shannon," I said softly, moving Boone's arms so that they were wrapped around me. He held me close, as if afraid to let me go. "Sayid." I pulled free from Boone's arms and stepped forward. "It's nice to see you again."

"You as well." We stood awkwardly before reaching out our arms and hugging each other tightly.

"I missed you," I said, stepping back into Boone's embrace. "I didn't get to say good-bye. James… told me what happened."

Sayid smiled sadly and nodded as his arm slid around Shannon's waist. His last act was to sacrifice himself to save everyone on the sub. I didn't get to say goodbye.

We were all happy. Everyone was with the person they were meant to be with. Shannon and Sayid, Hurley and Libby, Rose and Bernard…

"Kalie?" I turned, a wide grin spreading across my face.

"Charlie." For the second time in minutes, I extracted myself from Boone's arms and closed the gap between us. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Everyone was hugging, smiling and laughing. It was a reunion. I was seeing friends and even though more than fifteen years had passed, it still felt like I just saw them yesterday. I scanned the church, finally laying eyes on two of the people I wanted to see the most. "James," I whispered with a smile. "Boone, come on." I took his hand and pulled him across the front of the church, pausing to glance up at the statues on the altar. "James," I called out over the chatter of our friends.

"Who are you calling to? I don't remember anyone named James," Boone said from behind me.

"Juliet," I said loudly, pulling her from her conversation with James. I was grinning like a madwoman, but I didn't care. This was Juliet, my sister, my best friend. James was never right after her death, and for ten years after, he didn't date. When she turned to me, I dropped Boone's hand and wrapped my arms around her neck. "Oh my goodness, I missed you."

I hugged her tightly, grinning at James over her shoulder. "Juliet, this is Boone," I said when we separated. "Boone, this is Juliet, one of my dearest friends. And you already know James."

"It's so nice to finally meet you." While they shook hands, I grinned up at James.

"Hey, Tinkerbelle," he said with a smile. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Nice to see you again, healthy." His fingers ran through my long black hair, and I bit my lip, knowing the question was coming. "No Enos, huh?"

I shook my head slowly. "No," I said softly, meeting his eyes. "He's not ready yet."

"Have you seen him?"

"Yeah, earlier, at the concert. I said hi."

"How'd that work out?"

"How'd what work out?" Boone asked, wrapping his arms around my waist once again.

I smiled and looked up at him. "Miles," I said softly.

He nodded, kissing my neck.

A door opened and Jack emerged, stepping slowly into the church, an older man following him. I somehow knew the man was Jack's father. It just made sense. He walked into the crowd, stopping to hug people along the way. Boone and I made our way over, pausing to say hi to Desmond and Penny on the way. "Desmond," I said with a smile. "You must be Penny."

I hadn't talked to Desmond much on the island, but he had been good friends with Charlie. "This is Boone. Boone, Desmond was down in the hatch."

They shook hands and I slipped away for a moment, hugging Jin and Sun. Jin never made it off the island, never got to see his daughter. He died in the submarine, not wanting to leave Sun. I hadn't gotten to say goodbye to them either. "There you are," Boone said softly. "Come on, everyone's sitting down."

He slipped his hand into mine, interlocking our fingers and leading me down the aisle. I slid into the third pew next to Juliet and James. I squeezed Sayid's shoulder as I settled onto the hard, wooden seat. Reaching over, I held onto Juliet's hand, with Boone's arm around me.

I scanned the church. Jack was up front with Kate, Charlie, Claire and Aaron were together, even Hurley and Libby. Though their time on the island was short, they found each other here.

The church had quieted down, now only muted whispers echoed in the room.

Jack's father walked down the center aisle, squeezing Jack on the shoulder. A few seconds later, the back door opened and the church was filled with the most beautiful, brilliant light I had ever seen. I turned, looking back as we were all enveloped in the light.

Heaven. We were home. After all the nightmares, fear and violence on the island, after all the suffering, sadness and sorrow, we were now happy and healthy. We were home.

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**AN: Hello! I've got a long AN posted at the end of the epilogue, so I'll just do a quick one here. Thank you so much to: LuliCullen, PaperBooksInk, Maiqu, Chiquitabananas, pani_zagloba, The Submarine, and CharmedGirl92 for reviewing the previous chapter. Thanks for reading and on to the epilogue!**


	28. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

It is beautiful where we ended up. Everyone, past and present is here. Boone, Shannon, Sayid, Jack, Hurley, and Kate have been here as long as I have, and Charlotte arrived yesterday with Daniel and Ana Lucia. I'm still waiting for one person.

Boone knows I'm waiting, and who I'm waiting for, and he understands. It's nice, knowing that I'll be able to have both my men so close. I don't want to have to choose who is more important to me, they both are equally important.

It isn't the clouds, but close. If you've ever read The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis, you'll understand _Heaven_. There is no giant lion that talks, but it is a similar concept, multiple worlds that intersect.

Everything is beautiful, with trees and flowers in every variety, color and shape. I'm outside, lying back in the soft, green grass with my eyes closed. The sun is bright and I inhale deeply, a wide smile on my face. I can smell the flowers and the grass, the fresh air. It smells like it did in back home in Connecticut during the late spring. I used to love sitting outside on a warm day, just inhaling the smells of spring.

The area is silent except for some children playing a short way down the road. I hear footsteps on the nearby pavement and open my eyes. Sitting up on my elbows, I scan the surrounding area, seeing him just meters from me. "Miles," I whisper, my heart pounding in my chest. He is here. He is finally here.

I jump up and run towards him, tears filling my eyes as my feet hit the grass. "Miles!" I call out, laughing through my tears.

"Kalie?" I hear him say and he stops on the pavement. "Is that you?"

I stop in front of him and brush the fallen tears from my cheeks. "I don't believe you're here," I say, smiling up at him. "I've been waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?" He asks, his arms still resting at his side. I want to touch him, to hold him, but I don't know how he'll react. "How long have you been here?"

"It's hard to say. It's been a while though." I can't take it any longer. I step forward and slip my arms around his waist. I rest my head on his chestClosing my eyes, I breathe deeply and smile. "I love you," I whisper into his shirt, now stained with fresh tears.

"I love you, too." I feel his hands on my back and his chin resting on the top of my head. "You kissed me… in that other place. Who woke you up?"

"Boone," I say softly, hoping his reaction will be positive. "Who woke you up?"

"My… second wife, Jessie. We got married about five years after you… died."

Pulling back from his chest, I look up into the familiar brown eyes. The eyes I had spent so many hours staring into. "I'm glad you were happy; I wanted you to be."

He leans down, softly kissing my lips. "I missed you though, more than you can imagine."

"I missed you, too. Come on, everyone's here." I slip my hand into his and take a glance around. "Where is… Jessie? Shouldn't she be here with you?"

"She's with her parents at the moment; she'll be here soon." He squeezes my hand and smiles. "I want you to meet her."

"I want to meet her."

Together, hand in hand, we walk through the warm, green grass. The first people we run into are James and Juliet. The reacquainting is quick, but they'll have time for that later. We have all the time in the world.

I drag him through the center of town. It looks an awful lot like Dharmaville, yellow houses and all. We walk up to one particular house and I see the recognition on his face. It's an exact replica of the one I lived in back from 1974-1977. "Boone," I call out as we step inside. I still have a tight hold on Miles' hand; I don't want to let him go.

More time has passed than I can count. I missed this. His hand feels perfect in mine, like a separate part of me.

"What?" I hear his voice from up the stairs and I lead Miles up the steps.

I peek into our bedroom where Boone is lying on the bed. "Boone, this is Miles. Miles, Boone."

I reach out to Boone with my left, still holding tight to Miles' hand with my right. I look back and forth between my two men. I've waited for the moment for longer than I can remember. The only thing missing is my children; they'll be here soon enough.

For the first time in ever, I'm completely happy. Miles. Boone. This was it.

* * *

**AN: Thank you. Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed/alerted/favorited this story and it's prequel _Lost on an Island_. You have no idea how much all your reviews and comments meant! **

**I can't believe this is over! Sure, I still have the _Dharma Stories_, but for the most part, Kalie's story is finished. I might post extra oneshots on my writing journal, but most likely not here. If you're interested, find me at music-writer dot livejournal dot com.**

**If you liked it, let me know. If you didn't, let me know that too. I heart you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!**


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